


Tension

by SleepyKalena



Series: His & Hers [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: (how many more of these sexually-related tags do I need to add until I'm done? who knows), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blow Jobs, Cassian is in over his head, DangerousLee Rough Terrain, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Fluff, Innuendo, Neck-Grabbing, Post-Battle of Scarif, Post-Battle of Yavin, Rough Sex, Sexual Fantasy, Slow Build, Smut, Unresolved Sexual Tension, and Jyn is clueless af, in which i attempt to provide some semblance of story around their sexual frustration, sexual banter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-01-20 01:55:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12422628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyKalena/pseuds/SleepyKalena
Summary: Cassian and Jyn didn't have the time to fully take each other in when they first met. But since Scarif, Cassian had started to notice things about Jyn- her scent, the way her lips curve, her fiery determination- that drive him wild with lust. Jyn, meanwhile, craves Cassian's body at the thought of his hands, the way he moves, and even his kriffing blaster holster.It's such a shame, then, that they have no idea that their feelings are mutual.





	1. Hard Candy

**Author's Note:**

> aka: Her Scent

Fruits with a hint of cream.  
  
That's what Cassian is reminded of every time Jyn gets a little too close to him.  
  
Her scent tantalizes him whenever it wafts in the air and tickles his nostrils. In fact, Cassian actively resists getting too close to Jyn to take in her scent, but it tempts him, invites him to come a little closer and indulge. He swore it would be the death of him to dig his face in her neck to fully take in her essence and eat her up.  
  
So when he had to summon her to his quarters, he tried to breathe as little as possible when she walked in.  
  
"You needed me for something?" she asked.  
  
Cassian took a slow, deep breath through his nose to feign calmness and swiveled around in his desk chair to face her. "Just wanted to let you know that I'm headed off for a reconnaissance mission with Bodhi tomorrow."  
  
Jyn cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "Okay?" Her voice was slow, confused.  
  
"I'll need you to watch over Kay while we're out. I'm accompanying Bodhi on his supply run to meet up with my contact but he's landing on a port that demands neutrality. They will not take kindly to Alliance attire, or a KX Droid's presence."  
  
Jyn squinted at him with a skeptical eye and stepped towards him. "You want me to be a babysitter."  
  
Cassian tensed up at the loss of personal space. Hopefully she wouldn't come any closer.  
  
But his hopes were soon dashed as she closed the gap between them even further, stopping just far enough that she could place both her hands on the armrests of his chair.  
  
She leaned in and lowered herself to be level with his face. "This is a favor, right? You're asking me to do you a favor?" Her face swooped down to his and her scent permeated the air around him. It smelled mostly of Alliance-issue soap, a sign that she recently bathed, but it wasn't enough to mask the notes of her signature fruit-and-cream scent.  
  
Cassian gulped and felt his pants get a little tighter. He clenched his fists, which were very firmly on his lap to hide his groin area from Jyn's view. "You want something in return," he concluded, his voice a little hoarse from self-restraint.  
  
Jyn's mouth slowly morphed into a smirk. He glanced down at her lips. Her lower lip hung like ripe fruit; juicy, plump, and inviting, like the imported blumfruits he saw at a market not long ago.  
  
Cassian's insides burned with an intense desire to pull her face even closer and suck on that lower lip. He steeled himself and attempted to regain his classic neutral gaze. "Is it something I can actually do?" he asked slowly.  
  
Jyn's mouth formed a small, but tempting “O” shape as an idea popped into her head. She pulled back and stood up straight to cross her arms before replying simply with, "I demand snacks. Sweet kinds and savory kinds. You're going with Bodhi to a trading outpost? Buy me foods on your way back. Stuff that the base doesn't have."  
  
It suddenly occurred to Cassian that he had no idea what kinds of foods she actually liked. The mess hall was so boring that she's never heard her talk much about favorite foods. Did she even like desserts? Or fizzy drinks? He cleared his throat. "What kinds of snacks were you looking for, exactly?"  
  
Jyn shrugged. "I don't know what's out there, to be honest. But I trust your judgement. Hopefully you won't let me down? Because Kay is a handful, so I expect a good haul out of you!"  
  
Cassian could only nod, his throat still feeling dry from breathing her in. The moment she left and his doors swished shut, he took a deep breath to let his lungs recover and reached for his comms to contact his droid friend.  
  
"Kay, make any preparations you need to be left with Jyn while I'm out with Bodhi." He paused. "But don't come into my room for at least an hour."  
  
"What sort of request is that, Cassian?" Kay asked. "I always give you privacy."  
  
"And yet somehow you open the door at the worst moments. Just don't come in for an hour, I need to be alone."  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Kay," Cassian buzzed in again, "I'm serious. Do **not** come into my room for an hour."  
  
"Fine, I'll stay with Bodhi and help with his preparation," the droid answered with a slight hum in his gears that Cassian knew was a sigh.  
  
He threw the comms piece down onto his desk and paced the room, combing a hand through his hair. So much energy was spent trying to not get distracted by his own feelings, and yet he could barely stay focused on talking to Jyn the second he was greeted with that bright candy smell. Cassian couldn't even recall what she was wearing when she walked in; probably the standard-issue uniform, sure, but normally he had no problem observing the state of a person's attire in relation to their condition at any given moment. Was her outfit dirty or stained? Freshly pressed or wrinkled? New or faded slightly with age?  
  
_It doesn't matter_ \- he suddenly thought- _they aren't on my floor._  
  
Cassian shook his head, fell backwards onto his bed with a sigh, and looked up at the ceiling. The smell of fruits still lingered in the air. Normally, it was easy to ignore it when other local smells surrounded him during a mission with Jyn by his side, but whenever there was a lull, some downtime between the action, the smell would creep back up, just as it did in his quarters, and he'd find himself wishing he could get thrown back into active missions just to escape the desires bubbling up from within him. It drove him mad that he had to exert this much self-control, especially because they weren't romantically involved- just partners who go on missions together.  
  
Surely, Jyn didn't see it any other way. Surely, she didn't see him as a potential... _partner._ He sincerely doubted that she found anything delicious about the way he smelled, nor did he believe that Jyn would have the kind of fantasies in which he'd suck on her earlobe, or her collarbone, or her hardened nipples as if they were themselves candy…  
  
He closed his eyes and slid out of his pants to get comfortable before reaching down to stroke out his frustration.

* * *

  
Cassian approached the ship feeling groggy from a lack of sleep the night before. He was far too frustrated to sleep. As he dropped his pack onto the bench of the ship, he hoped that this space travel will distract him long enough to forget his pent-up feelings, if only for a few standard days.  
  
“It's gonna be a bit of a flight, but I'm just glad it'll mean that I get to restock the mess hall with food that we might actually like for once,” Bodhi grinned and adjusted the goggles on his head. His face was cleanly shaven, and Cassian noted fondly at how much better he seemed since Scarif. As he passed Cassian to climb up to the cockpit and make preparations for take-off, Cassian noted the smells that trailed behind him.  
  
Mint. Shaving cream. Warm spices. Fabric starch.  
  
Clearly, establishing a routine helped Bodhi maintain a sense of control and order in his mind.  
  
The air felt a little thick, unmoving, while they were in hyperspace. Bodhi would occasionally flick a few switches here and there, but most of their journey was spent wrapped in the blanket of the silence of space.  
  
It wasn’t too long before Bodhi felt it was appropriate to turn to Cassian and make small-talk. He held up a small bag of individually wrapped candies. “Want one?”  
  
Cassian eyed the candies in Bodhi’s hand and shook his head. “No thanks, I’m not really into sweets.”  
  
More silence. Then, “Is it always this quiet when you’re with Kay?”  
  
Cassian rubbed his chin, the scruffing noise audible amidst the hum of the ship. Finally, “Usually his circuits have a spark, and he brings up something random. It sort of goes on like that for a while, and then it switches to something else.”  
  
The pilot nodded thoughtfully as he stared back out the window, watching the stars race in lines past them. “Well, I guess we could start by talking about the open market in the trading outpost we’re going to.”  
  
“Do you know much about it?” Cassian asked. “I only know that I have to meet a contact somewhere, based on coordinates I got from Draven, but that’s it.”  
  
“I don’t know the specifics, but,” Bodhi started, “I hear that they have a pretty cool selection of goods in the open market. Hopefully I find something for myself after I load up the deliverables for the Alliance.” He was quiet for a moment, mulling over the decision to speak his mind a little further, then decided to go for it and looked at Cassian. “As it is, I imagine you don’t get to stop and smell the flora when you do most of your missions. I know I’ll finish my objective before you do, so we can leave after you’ve checked out what the open market has to offer.”  
  
Cassian looked at him from the corner of his eye. Bodhi certainly had no business telling Cassian Andor, intelligence agent, what to do with his free time.  
  
But Bodhi definitely had the right to tell Cassian Andor, friend of Bodhi, to remember the importance of self-care.  
  
“Yeah,” Cassian said slowly, his gaze turning distant, “I think I’ll do that.” The ship became quiet again, though it didn’t particularly feel uncomfortable this time. Bodhi settled in his seat, slumping a little as he continued to watch the scenery swirl around them. Meanwhile, Cassian’s thoughts turned back to ideas of what he could do to spend his free time, but the second Jyn’s face flashed through his mind, he suddenly remembered what he promised her the day before.  
  
He still wasn’t looking at Bodhi when he spoke up. “I actually owe Jyn snacks.”  
  
“Which kind?”  
  
He shrugged. “She said she trusts my judgement, but I don’t actually know what she wants,” he admitted. “I don’t even know what kinds of foods she likes. I’m not sure what counts as good sweet snacks, since I don’t even eat them.”  
  
Bodhi hummed thoughtfully before looking back at Cassian. “She’ll probably want crunchy stuff. And solid foods. Since most of the mess hall food is mush and she complains about it all the time.”  
  
Cassian smirked and let his nose exhale in amusement. “So you’re basically saying as long as it’s not mess hall food, I should be good?”  
  
Their gentle laughter filled the ship as they spent the rest of the trip making jabs at the ways of the Alliance.  
  
Cassian noticed as he stepped out of the ship that the moon they landed on very much reminded him of Jedha. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for his pilot friend, who adjusted his goggles nervously at the sight. “Starting to feel a little homesick now,” he heard him mumble as he walked to one of the local species to present their scandocs.  
  
The air here was warmer, cleaner, a little more humid- a huge departure from Hoth. Where Jedha relied more on a mix of mud-brick and cement structures, it was clear that this moon established themselves as being a hub for international trade, and durasteel structures graced the skyline of the dusty landscape. Cassian shrugged out of his vest, feeling the heat crawl up his spine, and switched instead to his favorite dark leather jacket. Grabbing the pack he left at the bench prior to leaving Echo Base, he opened it up to make sure he still had everything:  
  
Ration bars...Check. Credit chips...Check. Blaster...  
  
Cassian cocked his head to the side and picked up his blaster. Attached was a note: _Decided to let you borrow my blaster while you’re out. Don’t lose it!_  
  
He couldn’t help but smile. Jyn’s writing was a sharp cursive- elegant but precise and jagged all at once. Cassian wondered if it might have once been curvy and youthful and loopy, before the Empire stole her parents away.  
  
Once he finished double-checking the supplies he dropped his blaster back into his pack and slung it over his shoulders as he heard Bodhi return to hand him his scandocs. “Don't forget to comm me when you're ready to go!” Bodhi said a little too cheerfully, an attempt to cover-up the forlornness of being in a place that reminded him too much of the home that was now gone.  
  
Cassian gave him an understanding smile and a curt nod as the two went their separate ways.  
  
According to the coordinates that Draven provided, the most direct path to the location of the meet-up with their contact required cutting through the market. This market seemed relatively modern by Core Worlds standards, if slightly dirty- the pathways were all paved smooth, and vendors had stalls set up that were made of metal and synthetic tarp rather than the wood and woven cloth or straw that he was used to seeing on his journeys in the Outer Rim. Ships flew well overheard, mostly old models with the occasional shiny one. The market was thriving in this lunch rush, and Cassian was actually having some difficulty pushing through the locals trying to run errands or pick up a quick meal. Different smells wafted through the air- tropical fruits, pungent cheeses, and grilled skewers, to name a few. Cassian’s stomach growled, and he mentally marked the stalls to visit on his way back.  
  
He was about to make his way up the hill towards his destination when he heard a voice that stood out:  
  
“My treats are one-of-a-kind! How about I make one especially for you?”  
  
Cassian rolled his eyes. A fad food vendor. Not surprising in a port city like this. He walked on.  
  
“Yes, you! Young man, in the leather jacket! I bet I can make a candy for you that you’ll fall in love with!”  
  
He stopped and turned around to face the merchant.  
  
He didn’t expect such a small, elderly woman to have such a strong, clear voice. Her booth was simple- in fact, it was being shared with a snacks vendor. She had no wares on the table; instead, she wore a maroon-colored cloak, the hood concealing much of her beady eyes. Her large, wrinkled hands were folded on top of the table. A local alien species, perhaps, but not one he was familiar with. Her grey-green face was kind, wrinkled with the joys of having lived a full life, but Cassian couldn’t help but feel suspicious at the knowingness in her voice as she said, “Never once have I failed to satisfy a customer.” Her smile had turned into a grin and revealed crooked teeth, as if to bait Cassian into arguing with her.  
  
Cassian hesitantly took a couple steps forward, but then thought better of it and started to turn away.  
  
“Do not overlook this booth, young one!” the woman called out, her trunk wiggling with the movement of her mouth. “They call me The Artisan for a reason.”  
  
This woman clearly was trying to lasso him into something. But she also didn’t seem like a con artist. He turned back and approached her. His eyes squinted. Curiosity was getting the better of him- if Cassian wasn’t one for sweets, then how could this woman- this _artisan_ \- possibly make him candy that he’d actually like?  
  
She smiled knowingly and unfolded her hands, reaching out for Cassian’s. “In order for me to do my work, I request advance payment, and some time to make my creations.”  
  
Cassian still wasn’t convinced. He stared down at her sizeable hands- three main fingers and a thumb, with cuts and scabs all over her palms. Blunt claws for fingernails. Some of the joints were calloused. Nonetheless, they beckoned.  
  
“Oh,” she suddenly remembered, “Each of my treats are made to fit each individual, you know. As such, I will also need an item related to the object of your deepest desires.”  
  
The sun was high in the sky, causing his shadow to loom over her. He gave in to the temptation and finally spoke. “And if what I desire isn’t an object?”  
  
Her smile did not waver as she responded with, “I will still find something to create a confection specifically to your tastes.” She looked up at him- a David against a Goliath. “I should warn you, however- some of my patrons have found themselves addicted to my products.”  
  
Cassian scoffed. A drug dealer, then.  
  
She seemed to know what he was thinking. “Rest assured, my creations do not contain serums. But surely you, young man, have a few credits to spare to try and prove me wrong?” She eyed the pack hanging off his back. “If my creations fail to please you, I will allow you to take my neighbor’s snacks. However many you wish to bring back.”  
  
His eyes flicked over to the snacks vendor for confirmation. He was young, human, with sandy-blonde hair and skin darker than Cassian’s. “She’s offered this to everyone so far, but no one’s taken a single snack from me,” he shrugged.  
  
He looked back at The Artisan and weighed his options. Cassian never thought of himself as much of a spender, so he **did** have credits to spare...and if the woman failed to convert him into a sweets person, he could bring snacks back for Jyn.  
  
_It’s a win-win either way_ , he concluded.  
  
Cassian nodded and opened his pack to pull out a few credit chips and placed them in The Artisan’s hands. The Artisan’s tiny ears flicked in satisfaction under her hood and she collected the chips into a small drawstring purse. She looked up at him. “You say that the object of your desire is not actually an object, yes? Please provide me with something that is related to her.”  
  
_Her? I never mentioned-_  
  
He decided to drop the thought and just go with it. He reached into his pack and frowned. The only thing related to Jyn was the blaster she put back in his pack. He couldn’t afford to let go of that, could he? It’s not like he thought to bring a spare.  
  
But, he really was curious. And the blaster isn’t the only weapon he came with. Perhaps he could run the risk of parting with it.  
  
Casisan pulled the blaster out and placed it on the table. He noticed that Jyn’s note was still affixed to the blaster, and Cassian reached out to remove the note when the woman placed a hand on his to stop him.  
  
“Please. This note is a much better item,” she said as she gently removed the adhesive binding the note to the blaster. She observed the handwriting and smiled back at Cassian. “She seems like a lovely woman. Now, your hands, please.”  
  
He stretched his hands out to her, palms up.  
  
The Artisan took his hands into her own, he forefinger tracing the lines of his broad, flat palms. With both hands, she ran her thumbs around the surface of his left hand, feeling the muscles underneath, as if she were getting to know him. It was soothing, like a massage, and Cassian felt comforted by her touch in spite of the cracks in her skin. She repeated this action with his right hand, fixated on the shape and feel of his hands the entire time, before slowly curling his fingers shut over his palms and gingerly pushing his hands back.  
  
“I do not wish to be the reason you are late for wherever you must be, so please come back when you’re done. I will have your confections finished by then,” she said kindly.  
  
Cassian gave a short nod and returned the blaster to his pack before heading back up the hill. He still didn’t know what to expect from her, and he rubbed his chin as he walked, trying to figure it out.  
  
He breathed deeply, lost in thought, when his mind lurched to a stop.  
  
Looking down at his hands, he realized that, in spite of all the scents in the air of this moon, his hands had no scent on them whatsoever.

* * *

  
The meeting with the informant went without a hitch, which was a massive relief to Cassian. Not killing your contact out of necessity was always a plus. Slipping a data chip in his pocket, he stepped out of the alleyway in which they met up, and quickly headed back towards the open market. The skewered meats were starting to sound like a good idea right about now, and his stomach grumbled, demanding sustenance.  
  
His hunger was so intense that he’d completely forgotten about his deal with The Artisan until she called out to him at the bottom of the hill.  
  
“Young man! Surely you have not forgotten about my promise to you?”  
  
He almost tripped over himself trying to stop and change directions towards The Artisan’s booth. Her side of the booth finally had an item on the table- a large, sea-green drawstring bag, adorned with a golden ribbon. The fabric of the bag glittered blue and gold and twinkled in the sunlight, like stars in a darkening sky.  
  
_Stardust,_ he thought.  
  
Cassian’s eyes widened in surprise at the bag before looking at The Artisan.  
  
The Artisan pushed the bag towards him. “I made sure the bag matched her. She is a very beautiful color.” She untied the gold ribbon and opened the bag before pointing at the opening and said, “Please, try one, and let me know if this lives up to my reputation,” she said with another smile.  
  
He peered inside. There were hard candies inside, perfectly marble-shaped with swirls of bright red and creamy white. Were these mints? There seemed to be a hundred of them. Cassian reached in hesitantly and grabbed one, turning it over between his fingers to observe how the colored swirls danced around each other. He eyed The Artisan suspiciously.  
  
She seemed to know what he was thinking yet again, and she grabbed a candy out of the bag for herself and popped it in her mouth. “Do not worry, young man- I would be out of business if my clients all died from my creations,” she laughed amiably.  
  
Cassian seemed a little more convinced of the legitimacy of the marble of sugar he was holding, and he slowly pushed the candy through his lips and into his mouth.  
  
His eyes popped open in shock as a burst of fruit and cream filled his mouth and the scent of the juices from it pushed up through his nose. He breathed it in. Images of Jyn flickered through his mind, too quick for him to focus on just one, and was reminded of the many times she lingered just a little too close to him for a little too long- the war room, his quarters, her quarters, the mess hall, in the cockpit of the ship, during sparring training…  
  
Cassian closed his eyes to take it all in while trying to keep calm, but instead he found himself frantically rolling the candy around his mouth, trying to leave a layer of the candy’s flavor all over the surface of his tongue. He sucked harder on the candy as he remembered how much he fantasized about her breasts and how badly he wanted to suck on her nipples until her mewls drove him mad enough to pin her down and make her his as mouth left marks all over her body, and-  
  
The sensation was all too much and yet not enough, and it suddenly dawned on him the candy had already melted away during his fervor. Despite the excessive salivation from eating the candy, Cassian felt his throat dry as he looked at The Artisan, utterly speechless.  
  
“Is today the day that I lose my wager for the first time?” she asked. But that smile was still on her face, and they both knew that she won.  
  
The Artisan’s smile- always warm, never malicious- terrified him. This seemingly frail woman was able to pick him apart, provide candy to a man who never much cared for sweets, and nearly bring him to his knees in surrender.  
  
The worst part was that Cassian **craved more**.  
  
He stopped himself from getting another candy before it got out of hand.  
  
“It’s clear that I’ve underestimated you,” Cassian finally managed to say, returning the smile to The Artisan. He turned to the young man next to her. “I would still like to buy snacks, however. For her.”

* * *

  
On the journey back to Echo Base, Bodhi and Cassian were quietly munching on their acquisitions from the market, occasionally offering the other person a bite of their own food.  
  
“So did you manage to find anything for Jyn?” Bodhi inquired with a full mouth.  
  
Cassian nodded and swallowed his skewered vegetables before continuing. I got a bunch of different snacks for her from the vendor next to The Artisan.”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“The Artisan- you know, that lady next to that snacks vendor at the base of the hill.”  
  
Bodhi stop chewing and stared. “What are you talking about? There was no woman next to the snacks vendor at the bottom of the hill.”  
  
Cassian looked back at the pilot, confused. “Yeah she was, she made candy catered specifically for me; I’ve even got a whole bag of it,” he tried to explain, and he pulled up the bag of candies. “Did you want to try one?” Cassian offered, and Bodhi’s face lit up with excitement.  
  
He popped one of the candies in his mouth but the light in his face quickly dimmed and he spat it back out onto his hand.  
  
“Gross!” Bodhi cried out. “What the hell **is** this flavor?!”  
  
Cassian was flabbergasted. “It’s fruits and cream. Is that not what you’re tasting?”  
  
Bodhi shook his head. “Nuh-uh. Nope. That was bitter and disgusting. I can’t even believe that’s candy.” He grabbed his canteen and downed some water to rid his tongue of the flavor. “This candy was made especially for you? What are you like, man?” His shoulders shuddered as his face scrunched up into a cringe.  
  
It was strange- how is it that Bodhi, the least picky eater that he knew of, found this candy to be bitter?  
  
Bodhi pulled out a lollipop that he bought for himself at another vendor’s booth and proceeded to unwrap it. He shoved the twisted stick into his mouth and sighed in relief as he left the sweetness meld on his tongue. “Oh man, that’s **much** better. Cassian, I don’t know who you bought that ‘candy’ from, but you were better off buying lollies like these from this guy in the west wing of the market.” He pulled out another one out of his bag- it was gold, a cross between caramel and sand, and twisted like taffy as it ran up the length of the stick. “Wanna try this one? It’s Almakian caramel apple-flavored!” he offered.  
  
Cassian shook his head. “No thanks, I’ll just stick with mine.” After some contemplative silence, he smiled at the size of their haul. “We don’t get a lot of chances to indulge like this, do we?”  
  
“That’s true,” Bodhi agreed. “...We should savor every bit of it while we can.”  
  
Nodding in agreement, Cassian grabbed another candy and held it up. He noticed how the red swirls were the same red color as the blumfruits he thought about the other day when he looked at Jyn’s lips. He’d only spoken two sentences to The Artisan, and yet she was able to concoct such a wonder.  
  
Just who was she, really?  
  
After some time, however, he decided to leave those thoughts behind, just as he left that moon behind, and popped the candy in his mouth. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift off to thoughts of Jyn, feeling the satisfaction of tasting something he’s wanted for so long.

* * *

  
“So? What’d you get me?” Jyn asked. She practically bounced on her bed as she sat on it, her excitement barely contained.  
  
Cassian, who was sitting on her desk chair, rolled himself towards her, and he emptied the contents of his bag onto her bed. Bags of crisps, baked goods, and candies poured out and bounced onto the thin mattress. Jyn’s eyes lit up with childlike wonder.  
  
“Stars’ end, this is **amazing**!” she squealed. Her hands wandered the pile, pawing at one of snacks that caught her eye before noticing another one that seemed more inviting, over and over until it was clear that she had no idea where to start eating. She looked up at him, and he could see the flecks in her eyes twinkle like the bag of his candies. “Thank you so much, Cassian! This was **definitely** worth babysitting Kaytu for.”  
  
He raised an eyebrow. “How’d that go, by the way?”  
  
Her eyes were still focused on the pile of treats. “It was a little annoying at first- he never seems to stop talking- but I gave him a few brain teasers that got him to shut up for a bit while he worked them out,” she replied with a grin. The grin quickly morphed into a gasp as she noticed a sea-green bag with a golden ribbon at the furthest edge of the snack pile. “Oh wow! It’s like the color of my eyes!” she said, reaching out to grab it.  
  
Cassian quickly snatched it before she could even lay a finger on it. “Um, no, actually this one’s mine.” He felt guilty about keeping it away from her, but it was better than the potential embarrassment if Jyn were to find out why and how he got this candy in the first place.  
  
He tried to ease the incredulous look on Jyn’s face by explaining, “I bought this bag of candy from a woman who makes things catered specifically to the buyer’s tastes.”  
  
Jyn stared at Cassian inquisitively and she leaned in closer to him. “But you don’t like sweets.”  
  
The smell of fruits and cream hit him in the face again, and his ears turned red with embarrassment. His thighs tensed and he squirmed a little as he resisted the urge to tackle her down onto the bed and nip at her neck.  
  
“I, um, take exception to this one. It’s probably the only sweet thing I’ll ever eat,” he said hesitantly, refusing to complete the thought aloud: _Although, if you’d let me, I could make it so that you’re the only sweet thing I eat_.  
  
Jyn held out a hand.  
  
Cassian looked at her, not understanding the gesture.  
  
“Well, if you make an exception with this candy, it’s probably really good! I want to try one,” she said with an expectant look on her face.  
  
“Oh, um, right,” he said, placing one of the round candies on her palm. “But I should warn you- Bodhi didn’t like the flavor for some reason. You might not like it either.”  
  
“Nonsense! Candy is candy. I’m sure the flavor’s fine,” she grinned and threw the candy up in the air and let it land in her mouth. Cassian watched intently as she moved the treat around with her tongue, the spherical shape pushing out of one cheek, then another. He squirmed again, wondering if that’s what she looked like if she took his cock and let it roam around the inside of her mouth. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself, but her scent filled his nostrils again and he held a fist up to his mouth to keep from groaning. As a last resort, Cassian rested that elbow on the armrest of Jyn’s chair both to hide his erection and to feign nonchalance.  
  
After some time, Jyn cocked her head to the side in confusion. “I don’t taste anything.”  
  
His brow creased in confusion. “What do you mean, you don’t taste anything? It’s supposed to taste like-” He stopped himself short. _You_.  
  
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but at least I don’t think it tastes disgusting like Bodhi did. It really is weird though,” she thought at first, but then said, “I take it back- this candy is definitely catered to you.”  
  
He looked at her with scrutiny. “What is that supposed to mean?”  
  
“You can be pretty bland a lot of the time, you know? So it makes sense that this candy doesn’t taste like anything,” she joked.  
  
Cassian grabbed a muffin from the snack pile and threw it at her head. She held her hands up in surrender, laughing.  
  
“Whatever, I’m going to the war room for the debriefing,” he sighed and got up from his chair. He almost reached Jyn’s doors when she wedged herself between him and the door and hugged him tightly around the waist.  
  
He looked down at Jyn, surprised at the gesture. He took in the scent of her hair, that alluring cream and fruit scent, and he squeezed around her shoulders tightly to counter his need to grab the base of her hair and pulling it back to expose her lips. It wasn’t long before the urge spread throughout his body, however, and he immediately pulled back, afraid that she’d feel him turning hard against the softness of her body.  
  
Cassian didn’t notice the look of disappointment that briefly flashed Jyn’s face, which was quickly covered up with a smile. “I don’t usually hug people, so accept that as a token of my gratitude,” she said, and she stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
How badly he wanted that tongue to roam his body.  
  
Cassian smiled and pushed on the keypad to open her door. “Anything for my partner,” he said, and he left her quarters.  
  
In the late hours, when Echo Base had been quiet with slumber, Cassian lay on his bed, awake, staring at the ceiling, trying to dispel the mental image of Jyn’s legs wrapped around his waist and gasping into his ear. He licked his lips let his hands roam downward, but he stopped short of grabbing the strings of his pajama pants to loosen them and turned to look at the bag of candies sitting on his desk.  
  
He got up to open the bag and grabbed one. He had to be careful- there were only so many, and he had to make each one count.  
  
But he’d already eaten five since he landed back on Hoth.  
  
_Screw it,_ he thought, and he ate another one, letting the explosion of fruit and cream flavor melt on his tongue. _Just one more, and then I’ll ration them_.  
  
Cassian lay back down on his bed with a contented sigh. Although the candy made his thoughts wander back to fantasies of shoving his face in Jyn’s ample bosom, he relished the fact that he could finally taste the scent that drove him wild with lust. He sucked on the candy slowly, trying to savor the flavor and rolled it around to fill his mouth, and he drifted off to sleep in the hopes that he’d get to taste her for real one day.


	2. Triangles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jyn doesn't quite understand why she continues to be dissatisfied with sex.
> 
> Then she notices Cassian's holster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka: His Holster
> 
>  
> 
> _[Note: I updated the tags because I realized that I jumped in to the smut a lot sooner than I expected. Whoops! There's also a bit of rough action in here, so check the tags before you read on!]_

Jyn raked her fingernails gently along the base of the private’s head as he hovered over her. Her heavy breathing and the sound of skin slapping faster and harder mingled with the private’s groans filled the stillness of the supply closet, their dirty little secret hidden behind some of the larger boxes in the room.

Her breath hitched as he rolled his hips and his shaft pushed deeper into a good spot, and she gripped his biceps for purchase and she lifted her hips to help him get a better angle. “Right there- don’t stop,” she breathed.

His voice wavered as he tried to keep up the pace. “Lieutenant, I-“

Jyn took his face in her hands and moaned in his ear as he hit that good spot yet again, then whispered harshly, “That’s an order, Private.”

The private shivered, riled up even more by her flavor of pillow talk, and hoisted himself upright. He grabbed Jyn’s hips and continued to pump in and out of her, eyes clenched shut and struggling to follow her command. Her hands snaked down to her clit and her wet fingers rubbed circles around it to bring herself to climax. Jyn threw her head back as a rush of heat swept her and her thighs quivered, a sign that the private took to mean that he was free to release. As he did so, his thrusts became harder, like a one-two punch pushing for an explosive finale, and he let out a loud, satisfied moan. Once drained, he fell onto his forearms and rested his forehead on Jyn’s as the two caught their breath.

It was more than enough for the private.

It wasn’t nearly enough for Jyn.

But it would suffice.

Jyn let herself rest for a while, drawing circles on the man’s shoulder blade.

It’d been like this since Scarif. She’d noticed that she started feeling…well, feelings in general. After having spent so much of her time pushing it all away for the sake of self-preservation, Mon Mothma finally came around and was true to her word on her offer of freedom in exchange for her services.

She just didn’t expect that her emotions would also freely course through her veins.

She couldn’t quite process them all, and the rush of it honestly scared her.

There may have been other, better solutions for her to work out her pent-up energy and frustration of not being more accustomed to this new sensation, but her current system was working: work on missions for personal satisfaction, train for strength and confidence, and find ways to be physically sated. Her choices were bountiful- cadets and privates were practically lining up to get a taste of what the only surviving female Hero of Scarif was like, if only out of curiosity.

But something still felt missing.

Jyn gently patted the private’s deltoids, a physical command onto a trained pet, and he lifted himself up off of her. She felt his member leave her body, and she almost wanted him to keep it there. Not because she particularly craved him- Hoth was just _that_ cold.

“I still think it’s strange that you’ve been assigned birth control, but I still have to use this condom.” There was an air of disdain around that final word in the private’s voice as he tried to tie the used item into a knot to throw away.

“That sounds like a personal problem, Private,” Jyn remarked casually as she lifted her shirt back over her head. “At any rate, I don’t see what there is to complain about- even with numbed senses you still didn’t last as long as you could have.”

He kept his mouth shut for the rest of their time in the supply closet.

When Jyn became fully dressed, she patted the private on the back. “Don’t take it personally, though; at least you know you won’t be getting infections from me. Not that it was ever a concern.” She opened the door and looked down both directions of the hallway before sneaking out. Before shutting the door behind her, she popped her head back in and said, “Don’t forget; five minutes,” and walked away.

As she approached her quarters, she noticed Cassian standing at her doorway. He was leaning casually against the cold metal of the entryway. “Cassian?”

Like a switch being flicked on at the sound of her voice, he stood up, spine erect, hands behind his back. “Lieutenant,” he replied.

Jyn smiled and rolled her eyes as she tapped in the access code to her quarters. As the doors swished open, she walked in and said, “Just drop the formalities, we all know you don’t talk to me like that.”

Cassian followed her in and the doors shut behind them. “It’s called professionalism, Jyn, and you need to keep up with that when you’re out and about as well.”

She twirled around to face him and grinned. “Alright, well, we’re no longer ‘out and about,’ so, what’s up?”

He held up a pack. “Have you seen my holster? I think we swapped packs on accident when we came back from our last mission.”

Jyn eyed him. “I have a holster in my own pack as well- you can’t just use that in a pinch?”

Cassian inhaled through his teeth like a hiss, and cocked his head to one side in disagreement. “Mine…it’s worn in to my shape. It’s more comfortable, and I’d rather not be distracted from wearing someone else’s.”

She was skeptical about his claim, but she got down on her knees regardless and looked under her bed. Her pack was there, indeed- but it was up against the wall. Jyn got down on her belly and wormed her way under the bed to retrieve it.

Cassian leaned over to one side to peer at her struggling to get the bag. “Find yourself face-down, ass-up often?”

He leaned back to dodge a shoe that Jyn tried to throw at him.

Jyn resurfaced from under the bed, pack in hand. “Here, check this one.”

He unearthed a holster- the color was uneven, it looked like it had been worn down from many years of use, and it was flimsy instead of stiff like Jyn’s. Cassian’s eyes lit up, and he tried to put it on. He tugged it around his hips and lowered it as much as it could go, further down than even his own trouser belt, and he sighed with satisfaction.

Cassian raised his arms as if to present his hips to her. “So much better. See how much better this fits? Nothing like your own holster.”

Jyn stared at his holster, not quite understanding what the big fuss was about. She did, however, notice how narrow his hips were. For all of Cassian’s strength on the field (which was palpable, but not incredible), he really was a tiny, scrawny man.

It was kind of endearing, if she thought about it.

But then her eyes traveled just a little bit lower and her face warmed up at the sight of his groin area. The holster had pushed on the fabric of his trousers so low and brought it in so tightly that it was actually framing his junk- she could actually see the outline of his entire cock and balls through the fabric of his trousers.

She gulped. Did he always wear his holster this low? Was he always boasting such a…package? Is that his actual size when flaccid?

Is all this only occurring to her now?

Her fingers twitched; there was a small desire to grab him by the holster and yank him towards her so that their bodies could collide and she could feel as much of him on her body as possible. Reflexively, she clenched her fists to stop them from reaching out to him and took a breath. In an attempt to mask her distraction, she huffed out an amused sigh and shook her head. “Whatever works for you, Cassian. I gotta get ready to some check-ups on our ship for our mission tomorrow, so I’ll catch you around?”

Cassian nodded. “Thanks, partner,” he said, patting her shoulder as he left.

Jyn had to turn around and fan herself when she belatedly noticed that his holster also did a good job of accentuating his ass, and she had to suppress the urge to run up and pinch it.

* * *

“Hand me the electrical tape?” Jyn asked, sticking her hand out to Bodhi as she fiddled with some wires in a panel. She felt the tiny roll of black tape being slapped down on her hand and she carefully clipped off a small strip to cover some exposed wires.

“So anyway,” Bodhi went on, “Shape is so important in the design of a ship! The empire is vicious with their Star Destroyers, but I have to admit, their triangular design really is a bit of a beauty. It’s so large and foreboding, but sharp and angular- they really knew what they were thinking when they wanted to bring a flair of drama to their fleet...”

Jyn nodded along, not fully paying attention to Bodhi’s prattles. To his credit, he knew an awful lot about ship design, to the point where he got along really well with one of the Alliance’s most recently-recruited pilot. When they met, they couldn’t stop going on and on about things like lambda-class shuttles from the Empire, or the design of the Alliance’s X-wings. In contrast, however, this was a subject far from Jyn’s forte, but she didn’t want to admit that she enjoyed his ramblings solely for the background white noise, nor did she want to tell him off when he’s clearly enjoying this topic, so she smiled and let him go on as much as his heart desired.

“…and there really is something about triangles being such a dynamic shape in general! Rounded things are all well and good, but they indicate more of a circular, inclusive sense of harmony. Although, I suppose that’s what made the Death Star that much more terrifying, the irony of a weapon shaped like a circle, an inclusive loop, causing so much destruction…” Jyn heard Bodhi’s voice trail off as if he’d just hit an epiphany, but she saw him shake himself back into focus out of the corner of her eye.

“The triangle, though! The odd number of angles in a triangle really lend to directing an observer to just look around all over, and that’s what makes it such a powerful shape!” he continued excitedly, as if he was demonstrating a groundbreaking find. All the while, Jyn covered up a few more exposed wires with the electrical tape.

She wasn’t sure what caused Bodhi to be so interested in geometric shapes in general. Triangles were just triangles. “How is it possible to demonstrate power with triangles, anyway? It’s just a shape,” she thought to herself, not realizing that it came out as a mumble.

“It’s all about directional lines, Jyn! Triangles are used in art pieces, and even propaganda in the Empire, to control how someone’s eyes travel when they look at something. Not that I’m saying that the Empire makes art…but, well, they kind of do, don’t they? That’s the whole thing about design. Triangles pointing upwards will get you to look up, and triangles pointing down will get you to look down. It’s like an arrow, on top of being an aerodynamic shape! Arrow, aero…Heh, Thane would appreciate that pun, I gotta tell him that one over lunch…”

Jyn eyed Bodhi with skepticism, unamused from the pun, but the topic of triangles managed to flick a light switch on in her mind, and when images of Cassian’s holster flooded her thoughts, she felt the heat rise up in her face- and, though she didn’t want to admit it, pool in her center. She turned away from Bodhi, trying to maintain focus on the wires she was covering up, but it was too late- she thought of the slope of Cassian’s holster, how low they hung, and how his legs met up with the holster to make a triangle shape of their own, as if to point an arrow down to his naturally bulging groin, and-

“I can’t kriffing believe this is possible,” she sighed, throwing her hands up in the air, wires be damned, and let her head thud against the above panel. She _just_ had sex this morning; it should have been enough to keep her distracted from her own urges. Sexually satisfying? Not quite, not lately, anyway. But it should have been sufficient. Something as simple as a Force-forsaken holster shouldn’t be distracting, especially if it comes to thoughts of someone that will never see her as anything more than a mere companion.

Bodhi hadn’t caught on to her true frustrations in all his excitement. “I know, right?! The use of shape in design is simply amazing.” He looked a little closer at Jyn’s face, now seething with frustration, and frowned. “Hey, is work stressing you out? You should take a break. Don’t want to start your mission off on a sour note. Maybe you should rest for a bit, get your mind off the tangles in the wires.

She pulled away from the tangles of the wires, but was nowhere near untangling herself from her thoughts. Nonetheless, she gave a gentle smile to Bodhi and said in the most nonchalant voice she could muster, “Sounds like a good idea. I think I just need to lay down. Been focusing too hard on these wires.”

They walked down the ramp of the ship together, and Bodhi put a hand on her shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to get lunch with me and Thane, though? It’ll be a good distraction, I think!”

Jyn shook her head. “I’m good. I think I just need to be alone with my thoughts for a bit.”

“How brooding of you,” he deadpanned. “Since when did you turn into Cassian?”

She pinched his scruffy cheek. “What is this, open mic night at a cantina? Go get your lunch.”

Bodhi rubbed his cheek in feigned pain. “Yeah, yeah, copy that, _Lieutenant_. I do need to shave though…” he trailed off as he turned towards the mess hall and walked away.

Jyn sat down on a line of crates near the ship’s entrance and fell back onto them like a hard cot. She stared up at the hangar, Bodhi’s question still hanging over her.

Jyn thought that there might have been something there, in the looks she and Cassian exchanged since they first met at Base One, and again on Jedha, and even on Eadu, in spite of their moral argument. Every glance they shared, every instance in which their physical distance dwindled more and more each time, would have culminated in some type of romance, so she thought.

But duty and hierarchy seemed to have won over, and the formalities sprang back up. Maybe it was the prospect of almost-dying that made them grow closer, or perhaps it was the adrenaline rush of actually getting closer to succeeding in their mission. Maybe she was just imagining it the whole time. _I could live with that_ , she thought, _I have a family now_.

She had everything she could ever need- a family, a roof over her head, meals, and even a sense that she was working for something larger and greater than herself. That alone made her life now more satisfying than her days living in caves and running high-risk missions with Saw, and certainly much better than when she was imprisoned. Even if she and Cassian weren’t an item, everything she has now- including her daily dalliances- was enough, should be enough.

Why did she still feel like she was lacking something?

Jyn covered her face with her hands in frustration.

 _You could try fucking Cassian instead,_ a voice in her head teased.

Her hands combed through her hair and her eyes clenched shut at the absurdity of her wandering mind. _What kind of suggestion_ was _that?_ a more reasoning voice in her head asked as a reminder.

It can’t happen. It couldn’t happen. They were just partners, just like Cassian said this morning. He doesn’t look at her like that. She’s never even seen him hungry like she’s been, else they’d be on each other like magnets.

A shiver shot down along her spine and her thighs squeezed slightly as her spine arched a little at the thought of Cassian closing what little gap there was left between the two of them these days and ravishing her. She started wondering again how his hips would feel against her, sandwiching her between himself and a wall, or the floor, or even the stack of crates tucked in a corner of the hangar…

 _No, no more of these thoughts,_ that voice of reason chided.

But her imagination wouldn’t stop there. She suddenly started thinking about tearing the holster off Cassian and pulling down his trousers, and-

“You okay, Lieutenant?”

Jyn’s eyes snapped open, and her pupils adjusted to the sudden burst of lights that flooded her vision from the hangars. A shadow loomed over her and she realized it was Cassian, standing yet again in his usual formal stance- spine erect, legs apart at hip-distance, and hands behind his back.

His stupid holster was also hovering over her field of vision.

The universe had a really twisted sense of humor.

She sat up quickly to mask the second shiver that raced through her. “I’m fine,” she lied, “just wanted to rest my eyes. Squinted too much at the wires that I needed to cover.”

Cassian looked at the entry ramp of the ship. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

She shook her head. “Nope, gotta make sure I’m thorough with my inspection. Can’t have a ship going bantha shit on us because I was negligent. Our resources are stretched thin to begin with.”

He smiled down at her, clearly pleased with her response. “I’m glad Draven keeps giving us the OK to work together on assignments. Every team could use someone like you in their crew.”

“What’s with the flattery, _Captain Andor_ , are you trying to get me in the sack?” she teased, but immediately bit her lip with regret at the suggestion of soliciting sex from him, no matter how jokingly it sounded.

She noticed Cassian’s eyes widen a bit from shock at the suggestion, so she tried to defuse the situation by jokingly sticking her tongue out at him. But Jyn regretted doing that too, because his family jewels were still in her line of sight and she wondered, for just a split second, what it would be like to run her tongue across the grapes that dangled in front of her.

“That’s…” Cassian’s eyes darted around the hangar, then he leaned down and said softly, “That’s really not something to be joking about out in the open. People might get the wrong idea.”

Jyn’s head tilted up just a bit more, and her body pushed up slightly to meet his face even more closely. Part of her knew she was toeing the line again, what with their unique relationship of constantly orbiting each other, but another part of her demanded to be edgy and indulge in as much of this feeling as possible without coming into physical contact with him- for formality’s sake, of course.

“You’re Intelligence, aren’t you? I’m sure you’d know by now if people were having thoughts about us like that,” she challenged with a smirk, her breath bouncing off his face and back onto hers.

There was a moment of stillness between them, a staring contest to see who’d fold first. It took a tremendous amount of effort on her part to stop her eyes from wandering lower.

It felt like hours had passed between them- even if it was really only a few seconds- and Cassian, his gaze unwavering, flicked Jyn’s forehead. The unexpectedness of the action caused her to throw her head back more than was necessary for a forehead flick, and it made Cassian laugh. She looked up at him with a glare, but Cassian regained his posture, officially leaving Jyn’s orbit.

“You’re right, but I really don’t want to give people too many reasons to try and pair us up,” he explained, still coming down from his victory laugh. “Anyway, I was looking for you to ask how close you are to wrapping up the inspection so we could play a couple rounds of dejarik. It’s not fun to play with Kay because he won’t stop making comments about my choices during my turn.”

Dejarik. Yeah. She could use a clean distraction from his holster and everything it emphasized. Jyn looked down at his boots, rather than risk staring too much at his crotch, and nodded. “Sure thing,” she said.

“Is there something on my boot?” Cassian asked, bending down more to inspect his boots.

She used that opportunity to avert her gaze back upwards, squarely avoiding his holster region, which was blocked by the top of his head. “Thought I saw something, but I guess it was my imagination,” she chirped.

That was possibly the dumbest save ever.

But Cassian seemed to have bought it, and he stood back up. “Alright, well, I suspect you’ll be done soon with your ship prep? I have a debrief with Draven soon, but I’ll be in my quarters afterwards. Just make sure to knock before you punch in my access code.”

“Don’t want to be caught with your pants down?” she teased.

“Keep your pants on, Lieutenant Innu-Erso,” he warned.

“You first, Captain ‘Face down, ass up’,” she shot back, mentally patting herself on the back in advance for winning this verbal spar.

Cassian’s head dropped in a chuckle. “Touché, Lieutenant, touché.” He started backing away, still facing Jyn, and her eyes were tempted yet again to avert down south to his holster.

 _Kriff it,_ she thought, and shifted her gaze to his stomach- a halfway point between his face and his holster- and enjoyed the bounce in his goods from each step he took away from her in her peripheral vision. She never thought she could ever appreciate the look of a holster so much, but then again, this was Cassian Andor, a man whose behavior continually surprised her from the day they met.

“See you in a bit, then?” he asked, still taking backwards steps. There was a crinkle in the edges of his eyes as he smiled, one of her favorite things about looking at him up-close.

“Better bring your A-game!” she hollered back, giving him a thumbs-up.

He turned around and walked off to the War Room, and she got a second helping of his holster bouncing in tune with the butt it framed.

* * *

Several rounds of dejarik later, she was _still_ distracted and sexually frustrated by Cassian’s holster.

It was unbelievable how often he actually wore the cursed thing. The holster was basically his security blanket, and she only seemed to find relief when he _finally_ stripped himself of it to get ready for bed.

She left Cassian’s quarters, completely irritated from being so distracted by thoughts of sex that she lost nearly every single round of dejarik. If Cassian’s ego could inflate any further from his victories tonight, he’d float right out of Echo Base with Kaytoo dangling at his feet.

Jyn was crossing the hangar to head towards the mess hall to find a new dalliance for the night when she came across Thane and his roommate. His roommate was a handsome sort- a little tan, his face clean-shaven, his hair tidy and styled, and stood just a few inches shorter than Thane himself, but he also boasted wonderfully bulky muscles and broad shoulders. Jyn noticed how the roommate’s upper body made an upside-down triangle, pointing down at his own legs, and she made a silent prayer of thanks to Bodhi for pointing out the power of shape. The pilot also donned a holster, which didn’t hang quite the same way as Cassian’s did, but she noticed how strong his thighs looked underneath it and she thought, _He should do_.

“Thane!” she called out, walking up to the pair of pilots.

Bodhi’s red-haired pilot friend looked at her, clearly surprised that she’d call him out specifically. “What’s up, Jyn?”

She stopped right in front of them and stood with her hands at her hips, which swayed to one side. “You busy right now?”

“Um…Not really, why?”

She whipped her head to the pilot’s roommate. “You interested in helping me out with something? I’ve got a bit of a problem on my hands and I really need someone strong to...” her voice trailed off and she looked up towards the ceiling whilst licking her lips, “help me pound it out.”

Thane’s face went nearly as red as his own hair and he scratched the back of his neck to pretend like he didn’t hear what he just heard.

Thane’s roommate seemed to have likewise caught on and he arched an eyebrow with a smile. “And I take it you’d like my help with that?”

Her smirk was playful and her thirst was clear at this point, and she looked him up and down before saying, “Yeah, it’s a bit of a toughie to handle, though. You think you’re up to the task?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Thane cross his arms, shielding his face with a hand out of embarrassment. “Please don’t tell me I have to participate in this,” he groaned to himself.

Jyn looked back at Thane. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she teased, knowing full well that Thane would be far from interested in such a proposition, “but I have a… _problem_ that needs to be addressed, so do you think you could do me a favor and hang out with Bodhi or something for a little?”

He sighed. “Alright, fine, just…” he made a face and his arms flailed a little at the two of them, unsure of what he was going to finish his sentence with. After a bit of gesticulating, he finally settled on, “don’t make a mess of our quarters.” Thane turned to walk towards Bodhi’s quarters, but he whipped back around with a squint and pointed accusingly at his roommate and Jyn. “And don’t make the room smell like hot, sweaty, closet sex.”

Jyn laughed out loud as he marched off, but it quickly faded when she felt thick fingers tug at her belt loop.

* * *

She really couldn’t believe she was feeling so touch-starved that she had to have sex twice in a day.

She also couldn’t believe that a kriffing _holster_ , of all things, was the reason for it.

Jyn started to chastise herself for being so perverted that looking at a holster immediately made her want to fondle a man’s junk, but this pilot’s technique was so many parsecs better than the one from this morning that she quickly tossed those thoughts out the window. All she was looking for was brute force, someone to drill her down and deep to grapple with the strength of her sexual desires, but he seemed to know his way around the female body better than most of the guys she slept with, and she hoped that this would be more than enough to quench her body’s thirst for touch.

She and the pilot were on his bed, the metal frame creaking and squeaking aggressively against the floor of his shared quarters, which were otherwise empty thanks to Thane agreeing to find something else to do for a while. Jyn was face-up, her upper body hanging off the side of the bed. Her moans were frequent and genuine- something that surprised even herself- and she enjoyed the sight of his bare muscles flexing as he rutted his hips in a shallow, but quick pace.

The pilot lifted her pelvis and gently patted her ass. She nodded and repositioned herself on all-fours, facing the foot of the bed.

His impact upon re-entry made her gasp and she dropped her head at the newfound pleasure for the night. She lifted her head again to take in more air, the pace picking back up again, when she saw their clothes strewn across the floor in front of her.

She saw his holster, and it clicked.

The balls she licked and sucked on that night, the tip of the head she lapped at, the hard shaft she took in her mouth before it proceeded to fuck her senseless, all of it…It shouldn’t have been just anyone’s, not even the pilot’s. More precisely, she realized she was yearning for someone else. As the pilot gripped her waist and his fingers sunk in to her soft flesh, she tapped deeper into her desires, just for a bit, and imagined that those hands belonged instead to someone paler, taller, lankier, scruffier, someone who was incredibly attached to his holster, someone-

Jyn gasped as the pilot moved his hands up to grab her breasts and give them a squeeze while he continued to pound her from behind, and she cried out, “Ca-“

The name caught in her throat.

She shut her mouth, not wanting to give anything away by calling her paramour the wrong name in bed.

But it wasn’t long until Jyn moaned again as one of the pilot’s large hands enclosed firmly, but not aggressively, around her throat and he squeezed gently, prompting her to bring herself up to press her back against his chest for a better reach. The press of his fingers on the pulse points of her neck made her feel lightheaded, but shot her pleasure levels sky-high. She gasped suddenly when that same hand moved away from her neck after a few thrusts and grabbed at the hair on the base of her neck, roughly tugging it to coax her head to tilt to one side to expose the left side of her neck better. The pilot’s tongue came crashing down to lap at the skin there, and Jyn’s body trembled at how expertly he handled her physical needs. When he introduced biting into the equation and started soothing those bites with a delicate, yet eager tongue, she cried out in ecstasy and forced herself to bite down on her lip to stop herself from saying Cassian’s name again.

Jyn was at the point of no return with her fantasy, and she kept her eyes shut to ride out her imagination. The pilot was no longer a green-eyed, broad-shouldered, muscular man, but rather morphed into a narrow-bodied intelligence agent with intensely dark eyes and a scruffy beard scraping against her back as the man thrusted harder and deeper into her body. She could feel her nipples harden, a subtle pleasure emanating from the violent jiggle in her breasts, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how Cassian’s holster wonderfully framed his parts as the pilot’s- no, _Cassian’s_ \- balls slapped against her clit repeatedly each time their hips crashed together.

Between her newfound hunger for a certain captain and the pleasure that the pilot was squeezing out of her, Jyn found herself out of breath in the best way possible, and she reached back to the pilot to let him link his arm with hers so that she could reach down to her clit. But as she opened her mouth to lick the fingertips of her free hand, the pilot’s own fingers beat her to it; she sucked on them, and the pilot breathed on her ear, his teeth raking across it before asking, “Permission to make you come, Lieutenant.”

The gruff, yet sweet tone of his voice reminded her of Cassian, and her walls clenched around the pilot’s cock at the request. “Granted. Please,” she moaned out, the best she could manage at the height of her internal fantasy, and when his fingers reached down to massage her clit, she could hear him grunting more audibly than earlier in their act.

He meant for them to orgasm together.

Jyn was losing control of her own words, and it was a miracle that her babbles of pleasure didn’t betray her to reveal that she was now fully imagining herself fucking a completely different man as she reached her peak, her legs turning coltish for the second time that day.

The pilot set her down and he withdrew from her so that he could fall back to catch his breath.

“Wow,” she breathed.

He grinned. “Glad you liked it.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “Thanks for that; I really needed it.”

“You know, some of the guys are really surprised that you sleep around with some of us.”

She tilted her head as she reached for her trousers. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said, tying the end of the condom and setting it in its wrapper in a neat package for disposal, “We all just figure you’d rather be sleeping with Captain Andor, since you guys kinda give off that vibe and all. But when I heard you slept with a few of the cadets, I realized you guys weren’t together. Came as a bit of a shock to me, if I’m honest.”

Jyn paused to contemplate an answer. What was she supposed to tell him- that Cassian keeps calling her ‘partner’ and doesn’t see her as anything more than a reliable agent? That she only just now realized that she couldn’t get away with fucking just any guy to keep herself satisfied? Or that this sleep session awakened her to the realization that she couldn’t just shove her romantic interest in Cassian aside, because her entire body and soul wanted every bit of Cassian inside and out?

Instead, she tried to act dismissively. “Captain Andor is a by-the-books man. I don’t think he’s much interested in fraternizing.”

“So does that mean there’s some unrequited feelings going on with you?” he asked.

She was caught. This man was a detective.

“Draven would’ve loved to have you working in Intelligence instead of one of the squadrons,” she replied coolly while putting her shirt back on.

“If it helps, Lieutenant,” he started as he stood up to escort her out of his quarters, “the lot of us are all secretly rooting for you two to get together. That’s not to say some of us don’t enjoy the thought of you riding us like a Cracian thumper, while you’re still ‘on the market,’ so to speak. But if you two _did_ get together, we wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Jyn jabbed at the pilot’s arm lightly. “Alright, alright, don’t get too ahead of yourselves. Andor hasn’t said or done anything to indicate anything more than a professional partnership, so don’t get your hopes up.”

The pilot pressed a button and the doors to his quarters opened. “This rebellion is built on hope, remember?”

Damn, he was good.

Jyn stepped out and she looked back at him warmly. “I suspect that whoever you choose to live with for the rest of your life will be very happy.”

He patted her back and stood back at the doorway. “That means a lot, Lieutenant. Thank you.”

* * *

Jyn felt relaxed enough to sleep at night, thanks to the pilot. But for the first time in what seemed like forever, her mind finally quieted down now that she knew what it was she was missing.

She wasn’t sure if Cassian would ever return her feelings, or if he even thought of her in such a way, but she finally understood the emotions she was feeling, and was satisfied at finally realizing why she was feeling so physically unfulfilled and touch-starved in spite of the sex she’s had.

As she drifted off to sleep that night, she felt that this was enough.

For now, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassian and Jyn will come together (heh, _phrasing_ ), I promise! It's just gonna take a little while.


	3. In the Defense of Undergarments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underwear is a strange concept to Cassian and Jyn.
> 
> Thanks to a data chip replication assignment on Coruscant, however, Cassian managed to find _a few_ reasons to appreciate undergarments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka: Her Shape
> 
> Special thanks to [taramidala](http://archiveofourown.org/users/taramidala/pseuds/taramidala), [Starbird](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbird/pseuds/Starbird), and [skitzofreak](http://archiveofourown.org/users/skitzofreak) for throwing the ball around with me to get some of the kinks (heh) of this chapter ironed out, and inspiring me to add bits and pieces here and there for better content. Additional thanks to [grexigone](http://archiveofourown.org/users/grexigone/pseuds/grexigone) for her help in this chapter, emotional support, and being a lovely cheerleader!
> 
> Even if I look past the fact that I had school slowly killing me up until the end of December, this was a hard chapter to write for whatever reason. Lots of stuff wasn’t working and I probably have about 10 different deleted scenes and a few plot points that I tossed out of here just to keep the word count manageable and the content still concise. But thank you all so much for being patient with me as I struggled to get this out!
> 
> ~~dear god i hope you guys like this chapter~~

“Leia, we don’t wear these types of things.”

Leia crossed her arms. “It doesn’t matter- you still have to wear them on your next mission.”

Cassian held the fabric up. “What is even the function of this stuff? Why would you wear this under anything?”

“They constrict and keep your body parts in place while you conduct your day, of course!”

“This is nonsensical. Imps don’t even wear this when they go to work.”

“They do when they have to dress up for formal events! It’s part of the social norm.”

Cassian looked down at the white fabric and gave it a light stretch between his hands. “It just seems pointless when you could wear proper trousers, and…” He squinted where the legs of these extremely short trousers met in the middle. “Is this supposed to be a pocket?”

Leia cleared her throat and grabbed the white fabric and stuck her fingers in so that they peeked out from the supposed ‘pocket’ on the other side. “Not a pocket. A hole. It’s how you take out your penis to urinate.”

Cassian looked at Leia skeptically. “Why on earth would you need to do that when you could just forego wearing this in the first place and open up the zipper of your pants?”

She rolled her eyes. “Cassian, stop arguing and just get used to wearing it.”

He held it up like a rat by its tail as she threw it back at him. “Do we have to wear this before we leave the base?”

Leia scoffed. “Goodness, no. Your body expands in space. Underwear does not. If I wore any of this while in transit from one planet to the next, I’d be strangled by my own bra. Don’t bother putting these on until you touch ground at the destination. I'll be sending someone with you to help you change outfits.”

Cassian looked questioningly again at this… “underwear”- the thing he was expected to wear underneath his pants- and dreaded the constriction that was to come. He couldn’t believe all this was for gathering intel, a means to swipe a data chip off an Imperial to replicate and bring the copy back to Intelligence.

He looked up at Leia, who somehow stuck around knowing that he was going to have additional questions.

“Why, again, do we need to be strict about conforming to certain Imperial dress standards?”

The look on Leia’s face was both mischievous and frightening all at once- she was planning something for him, and it dawned on him that she looked at him that way because she knew he was trying to figure it out, to no avail.

“Just wait for the debrief, Cassian; I don’t want to have to repeat myself to Jyn! No doubt she’ll ask the same questions, so it’s just easier to get it all done in one go,” she responded. Leia reached up to pat him on the shoulder. “Trust me, I’m sticking my neck out for you guys- Draven thought to send someone younger for this mission, but I insisted on you and Jyn because your chemistry works.”

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

Leia rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you guys have undeniable chemistry.”

He shot her a look. “Leia, we’ve been through this-“

She waved a hand in front of him. “Yeah, yeah, you don’t want to make a move on someone who doesn’t seem interested in you.”

“There’s absolutely no reason or me to act on my feelings towards her.”

“So you admit for sure that you have feelings towards her,” Leia said coyly, placing her hands on her hips triumphantly.

“I’d like to kick you out of my quarters now.” Cassian lowered his head to hide the blush forming at his cheeks.

She held her hands out pacifyingly. “Alright, sorry. But honestly, have you ever entertained the idea that she _could be_ interested in you?”

Cassian stroked his beard, a habit that formed over the years to distract from the fact that he was feeling a little uneasy about something. “You _do_ realize that her sleeping with other guys and not me is a clear sign that she isn’t interested, right?”

“Did you ever stop to think that perhaps she’s also interested in sleeping with you?”

“And what, be a casual fuck?” His shoulders slumped slightly and he looked back up at her with a soft smile, just a bit sad at the corners of his lips. “I’d rather be something more than that.”

He could see Leia’s face drop slightly with pity, and he quickly regained his composure and rigidity. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “Anyway. How is Jyn doing with her preparations?”

There was a visible wince on Leia’s face for just a split second before she grinned. “It’s going! But we have a lot to do to prepare for your assignment. It’s mostly on Jyn’s end, though. We have a dress fitting for her later today, before we get to yours. Again, you’ll see in the debrief later today. I just wanted to stop by and drop this-” Leia held up Cassian’s hand that had pinched onto the briefs, “-off before breakfast, just so you can get familiar with it.”

Cassian lifted the item again after Leia let go, still holding it like the foreign item it was, and staring with intense scrutiny.

He still couldn’t believe he was going to be required to wear this.

There were times where he’d have to go undercover in Imperial labs and facilities, and while they were all about regulating appearances, not once did anyone ever question his lack of undergarments such as these. Surely this was going overboard.

Cassian could continue to argue this point with Leia- she’s one of the few people he felt comfortable enough with to give his personal opinion on aspects of his assignments.

He looked up to try his luck again, but he found himself alone.

* * *

The debrief was, surprisingly, _brief_. One of the higher ranking Imperial officials that Intelligence has had its eye on is throwing a ball for his son, who was to turn 21 standard years in a few weeks. Given the age of the birthday boy, however, the party was going to cater more to a younger crowd. Jyn and Cassian were tasked with infiltrating this party, to be held on Coruscant, extracting a data chip that the son’s father kept on his person, and creating a copy to bring back to the Alliance. Simple enough.

The only problem was making sure that everyone looked the part.

Mon Mothma’s personal assistant, Avella Moslex, was kind enough to upload the necessary details and backstories of their personas on their datapads, which he managed to peruse in short bursts, but the file itself was a lot larger than he expected. In fact, he barely scratched the surface of the file’s contents despite having spent a combined total of one standard hour reading up on Imperial youth culture.

He was going to need to clear out his schedule as much as possible to catch up all this.

Going undercover to such a degree came as a surprise to Cassian. Suddenly Leia was orchestrating a complete grooming program for the duo just to make sure they blend in, a step above what's normally required of him for his previous Intel extraction missions (which normally consisted of a hair trim and a shave). Luckily for him, his experience in general Imperial mannerisms meant that getting outfitted was the only new experience.

Jyn, on the other hand, had no experience whatsoever. And thus was miserable.

So much so that as Cassian approached the assigned meeting room for his fitting, he could already hear angry shuffling and the occasional frustrated grunt from the other side of the door.

"LEIA, THERE IS LITERALLY NO POINT TO THIS KRIFFING PIECE OF CLOTHING!" Jyn yelled as the door slid open in front of Cassian. He winced at the sheer ferocity in her voice- one wrong move at this point, and his next words could very well be his last.

He always did admire that feistiness.

Today, he would've preferred to admire it from afar.

As Cassian entered the room, he saw Leia, off to his left, clearing her throat as she looked across the room to his right. "These are the customs for the Imperials you'll be with. It's in fashion!"

He could hear a huff from Jyn from his right. "Who cares about fashion, it's impractical! The fabric is itchy, and why does it force me to stand so stiffly? You'd agree with me, wouldn't you, Cassian?"

Cassian's head turned, ready to entertain Jyn with his story about having to wear a pair of "tighty-whities" (as Leia had referred to them), but he found himself speechless as his eyes widened in surprise.

Cassian was a man who always prided himself on being as prepared as possible for any situation.

Today, he had to poke a hole in that ballooned sense of pride.

He was NOT prepared to see Jyn wearing some type of intricately laced garment covering her torso, paired with matching bottoms, which were equally lacy and covered far less than what he was instructed to wear. In spite of how scant the clothing was, he failed to detect even a hint of embarrassment from Jyn, who was indeed standing more erect than he thought was even possible out of her.

Cassian clenched his jaw and his fingers twitched. He wanted to turn away but couldn’t stop staring. The black lace created a floral pattern all over her body, and-

_Is her body only being covered by the lace?_

The lace looked threadbare, and as he looked at her breasts- w _hy are you staring at them, Andor? Get a kriffing grip_ \- he wondered, only slightly, if he could see past the lace. But as Jyn pulled at the fabric of the bodice, Cassian noticed that the lace was merely lined on top of fabric that matched her skin tone.

He tried to shake the image out of his mind by closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, feigning a headache from Jyn’s ever-clear frustration with this assignment.

"It's called 'lingerie', thank you very much," Leia sniffed, "and it's standard undergarments for women who attend these balls in the first place. It's not like the women wear this all the time, though. Corsets and lace bikini briefs are normally saved for special occasions!"

"Leia, the wires are digging into my ribs and this…’corset’ thing is constricting my stomach. Do Imperial women just absorb sunlight to live? Because apparently they don't need to **breathe**!" Jyn whined, still tugging at different parts of the corset, as if she hoped it would magically stretch out enough to be comfortable.

“Imperial women learn to breathe just fine in those, you know,” a voice soothed from behind a rack of fancy gowns and additional undergarments. Avella stepped out from behind it and approached Jyn with extreme caution.

Cassian chuckled - it appears that perhaps even Mon Mothma was afraid to approach Jyn while in this condition, so Avella had to be thrown under the AT-AT and asked her to deal with Jyn’s frustration until they return from their assignment.

If it was anything like the briefs Cassian was assigned to wear, he could only imagine how much more frustrated his partner was.

But the more Jyn tugged and pulled at the corset, the more attention she drew to her figure.

For the first time, Cassian realized that Jyn’s breasts weren’t as large as he originally thought- apparently her tunics and vests had given him the illusion that she was larger than she actually was. Despite the modest size, however, the corset gave her breasts a lift that caused them to look like they were just on the verge of spilling over, and his throat dried slightly at the sight when her fidgeting and twisting only teased him more.

He tried his best to stay discreet as his eyes trailed downwards.

Her waist pinched inwards just a touch before tapering out sweetly to her hips. It wasn’t anywhere near the typical pinup Twi’lek you see on holos, who tended to be more voluptuous, but there was an appeal to having a figure that was practical, each part of her having a purpose beyond “standard” aesthetics (whatever that meant to people). Which, if Cassian allowed himself to admit, was far more preferable.

While the top half of her was petite and straight, her hips were relatively wide, creating a plumper back side that Cassian finally noticed as she spun around under Leia’s instruction whilst tugging on her assigned bottoms. There was a subtle dip on the sides of her rear- she definitely worked on her glutes at the fitness center. The lace in her underwear curved along with her ass, guiding his eyes downwards to her thighs- thicker than he imagined, and sturdier-looking to boot. Her quads were firm and shapely, and as his eyes continued downwards, he noticed that her calves were similarly so.

Jyn’s strength and appeal rested greatly on her legs, Cassian realized, and he couldn’t stop himself from imagining, for just a split second, what it would be like to grab her ass, let his fingers sink in to the flesh, and lift her up onto his lap to be straddled while running his hands up and down the sides of her thighs…

His thoughts froze when he saw Jyn whip around and glare accusingly at Avella. “Don’t. You. Dare,” she snarled, and Avella nearly dropped the container of hairpins in her hand.

“But Jyn, your hair-” Avella started, but Jyn held a finger up to shush her.

“One uncomfortable thing at a time, please,” Jyn said in a low, measured tone that felt very much like a Vorn tiger crouching down to strike if provoked.

Cassian meanwhile tried to put a damper on his craving for another piece of candy. He had some in his jacket pocket, but he still reminded himself that his supply was so extremely limited that he needed to save it for moments where he just couldn’t stand his craving for Jyn for another second.

But as he licked his lips slightly, out of pure thirst, he realized that Avella had been staring at him going dry-throated over Jyn.

_Kriff._

Cassian’s eyes widened slightly in panic, and he wondered if Avella was going to call him out on it.

A coy smile played on Avella’s lips, hair pins sticking out of her mouth. She plucked one of the pins out of her mouth as she made adjustments to Jyn’s updo and, satisfied with moving aside some of the stray strands of hair, whispered something in Jyn’s ear.

He felt himself turn red with embarrassment as he realized that she was throwing him under the AT-AT, right then and there.

Jyn leaned away and stared at Avella in shock. “What? Don’t be ridiculous. You watch way too many holodramas.”

Avella shrugged and put another pin in Jyn’s hair. “I’m just saying, Jyn.”

Cassian couldn’t see it from where he stood- Jyn’s back was still facing him- but based on the way her shoulders rolled, he could sense that she rolled her eyes as she said, “Sure, whatever.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Not once did Jyn turn to look at him, and all he got from Avella was a knowing smirk, followed by a playful wink.

Given that Leia was still scrutinizing Jyn’s appearance, he considered himself somewhat safe from being exposed as a hungry pervert.

He only hoped that Avella would keep his secret.

“Okay, so this corset looks just fine,” Leia concluded. “Avella, could you help Jyn put on the first dress? And Cassian, go behind the partition over there and put on the briefs while we work on Jyn some more, then we can get to your suit right away,” Leia asked. She gestured to the partition, and some clothing hung for him to try on.

Cassian couldn’t have been more excited to rush over there to avoid looking at Jyn any longer.

His underwear was exactly as snug as he imagined, if slightly worse.

The Empire was all about constriction- it made an inordinate amount of sense that the men would also subscribe to the idea of wearing clothing that constricted any hanging “parts”.

Cassian chuckled bitterly to himself at how weird this all still felt as he put on his suit. _No wonder Jyn was on edge._

He waddled a fair bit around the partition and towards Leia, as the trouser legs were just a bit too long and his white button-up shirt was just a tad too baggy. The suit jacket made swishing noises as his arms moved back and forth with each step he took.

Leia approached him and he stopped in his tracks as she scrutinized his figure from all angles. Pulling out measuring tape, she punched in a few buttons on her datapad, and a human figure silhouette filled the screen. She tapped at the waist portion of the diagram before turning back to him and made obscure measurements that Cassian didn’t understand before typing in some notes while mumbling, “Take the waist in by about 2 inches at about 10.75 inches down from the shoulder…”

As Leia tugged and pulled at parts of his suit, Cassian looked down and realized his outfit was…rather plain by comparison. Unlike Jyn, who he saw (angrily) wearing a frilly pink dress out of the corner of his eye, his suit jacket and pants were a few shades darker than Imperial-grey, and had a bit of a sheen to it that sparkled subtly under the right lighting. The fabric still felt stiff, but as he ran his hand over the pants, he noted at how soft it was in spite of its rigidity. A thin belt wrapped the middle of his pelvis, golden in color, and served little more than to create a pop of color and accentuate the length of his own torso.

Leia smiled in satisfaction as she put the measuring tape away. “Your outfit is perfect; it’ll just need to be taken in at some spots, but after that it’s ready. Jyn on the other hand…” She darted her eyes to the side.

Cassian followed suit and turned his head out of curiosity, and he got a good luck of Jyn bent over, no longer wearing any kind of dress, trying to unstrap some rather uncomfortable-looking shoes. The view of her ass was just too good from this angle, and he felt a bulge growing in his briefs.

He quickly turned away from everyone else and scrambled to grab his jacket from the partition to fish out a piece of candy from the little green bag he hid in the inner pocket. He couldn’t afford to keep staring at Jyn like a hungry animal, not when she was wearing what can barely be considered clothing, not while she continued to shimmy and fidget about as if she was wearing normal clothing, and certainly not while his erection threatened to give him away in a room full of women.

The candy hit his tongue and he swirled it around in his mouth, letting the burst of fruit and cream fill his senses. He sighed quietly in contentment, relieved that his mind had something else to focus on, even if it was still Jyn-related.

What he didn’t notice, once again, was that Avella had been watching him.

How can she be this good at noticing when he did something strange?

“Hey, is that candy?” Avella asked and her eyes lit up.

“Um,” Cassian started, unsure of how to go about trying to reject her impending request for a piece of his candy. It felt like a rather selfish thing, refusing to share something like _candy_ with other people, but before he could come up with something to make Avella back off, she had already gone up to stand in front of him and held out a hand.

“I wanna try,” she said, and it wasn’t even a question.

“I uh…” he stammered, still trying to come up with something to say, but Avella flashed a knowing look at him for just a brief second, and it hit him:

_Give her candy in exchange for her silence._

Reluctantly, he reached into the bag and dropped the marble-shaped treat onto Avella’s open palm.

“The flavor might be a bit off, just so you know,” Cassian warned bracing himself for a reaction like Bodhi’s.

Instead, however, she popped the candy into her mouth and let it run across her tongue. Her head tilted in contemplation and her eyes wandered upwards, considering the flavor.

“So this is the candy you’ve been possessive about?” Avella asked.

He mentally steeled himself for harsh criticism.

Instead, she shrugged.

“It’s not a flavor I’d personally write home about, but I can _definitely_ understand why you like the flavor so much! Thanks for that,” she said, scooping up the datapad and docs she left on the table next to Leia’s belongings, and headed out without another word.

If there wasn’t still some of the candy melting under the warmth and spit on his tongue his jaw would’ve dropped to the floor.

* * *

“This party is far too posh,” Jyn muttered through a forced smile as they took baby steps up the staircase leading up to the birthday boy’s mansion.

“We’re not even in the building yet,” Cassian reminded her.

“Do you honestly think the outside is going to look better than the inside, then?” she quipped right back.

Cassian vaguely heard the remark, but most of his concentration was spent trying to calm his heartbeat. Jyn was clutching his bent arm- in Imperial fashion- and squeezed it to maintain composure whenever her legs quivered even _just slightly_ in the high heels she’d been practicing with.  If he let his peripheral vision take over, he could see down her cleavage and catch the lingerie peeking out from the top of the body of the dress, but he forced himself to keep his gaze forward.

Trying not to think of the shape of her body was just as hard today as it was the night before they departed for the mission, when he let himself explode onto his hands in the ‘fresher.

Leia had assigned Shara to ferry them to Coruscant rather than Bodhi or K2 specifically to help Jyn get dressed and prepare for her role. _“Your body expands in space. Underwear does not,”_ Leia’s voice echoed in his mind. _“If I wore any of this while in transit from one planet to the next, I’d be strangled by my own bra.”_

So when Jyn hobbled out like a newborn colt from the other side of the changing partition due to her shiny black heels, Cassian bit back a groan at the sight.

They were no longer in space, but he may as well have been back in his ship, speeding through hyperspace, wearing Leia’s bra; he felt _that_ strangled.

Shara kept Jyn’s signature bun, but it was twisted in a decorative way, and was off-center, to the side. Her hair still parted in the center, but the tips bounced a little from the soft curls Shara ironed on.

He knew that Jyn was a woman of practicality, and he appreciated that in a partner, but he couldn’t get his mind off the beauty of the dress they finally managed to pick.

The dress was strapless, and showed off how well-cut Jyn’s shoulders were. Her collarbone had a chance to shine, and her breasts were lifted yet again by the lingerie underneath. It peeked out, just slightly, _teasingly_ , from the black bodice, which had a notched, triangular cut in the middle to reveal just a bit more of the lingerie underneath. His eyes trailed down slowly, and he admired the thin, gold waist belt that wrapped around her waist- its shape enhanced by the dress’s design. The skirt of the dress, loose and billowy, was a beautiful shade of emerald green, which faded into a deep, bold blue at the edges. A thin, black crepe fabric layered and bunched at the bodice to give Jyn’s torso more of a full look to it, before continuing downwards, all the way down, shrouding the skirt of the dress with a hint of mystery before ending just at the tops of her toes. The black fabric had sparkles of gold scattered throughout, and while Cassian understood that this was one of Leia’s dresses, modified to fit Jyn’s body shape, he could’ve sworn the design of this dress- color choice and all- was modeled after the way Jyn’s eyes sparkled with gold flecks over her blue-rimmed green gaze.

 _Well done, Leia. A little_ too _well done._

He wanted, so badly, to press his lips against her bosom and nip at her black, lacy lingerie. He wanted to gaze into the depths of her eyes as his hands explored the depths of her dress, wandering the planes of her legs, higher and higher up until his fingers could brush against the sweet spot between them, just above where her inner thighs grazed each other. If only he could pull her aside, in an alcove of sorts (already there seem to be so many in this Imperial officer’s home as they were escorted to the ballroom), and use his lips and hands to ruin all of Shara and Leia’s hard work.

 _Focus on the mission_ , he reminded himself. _You can focus on what you want to do to Jyn in the privacy of your own quarters. Now’s not the time._

As the door entered the ballroom, Jyn let out an audible gasp.

It was as rich and frivolous as Cassian expected- sky-high ceilings, the walls all shiny and white and _clean_. Chandeliers hung beautifully decorated, sparkling and reflecting the sunlight onto the walls like daytime stars. There were lounge chairs and small coffee tables scattered about, meant for brown-nosing even the stiffest of Imperials. To the very back, in the corner, a small orchestra was playing elegant music, though Cassian had a hard time picking out the name of the tune from this distance.

Certainly this was an attempt to one-up their peers in a race to see who had the fancier fathier.

Cassian looked down at Jyn, expecting to see her bite back a frown at the pomp and circumstance of it all, but was surprised to see her attention diverted off to the right.

He looked over and saw that she was focused on the several tables with different food items spread out.

He smiled and chuckled. “Gonna take advantage of the good food?”

“Shh, darling, I’m appreciating the beauty of it all,” Jyn said, barely in character as her eyes transfixed on the one table dedicated entirely to sweets, pastries, and desserts.

Cassian felt Jyn’s grip on his arm loosen as she started to move to the dessert table when the man of honor approached them with open arms.

“Ah, Joreth Sward, so glad you could make it!” the Imperial target said in his sappiest, ass-kissing voice he could muster. Cassian felt the grip in his handshake and noted how the target’s insecurities could not be physically hidden. “When my father said he would be inviting you, I didn’t think you’d bother to come to the birthday party of a young nobody such as myself. But to think that you’d actually show up, with your fiancée, no less! It’s such an honor.”

Cassian flashed his warmest smile appropriate for a man of Joreth’s station, and bowed slightly to emphasize his authority over the target. “Nonsense; I’m only just a few years older than you,” Cassian lied through his teeth. “But your father certainly has spoken highly of you, and I’m very flattered to have been asked to come. Kestrel, my love, this is the young man I’d been telling you about, the man of the hour!”

 _Please don’t kriff this up_ , Cassian secretly prayed.

It must have been the make-up that Shara applied, because Jyn managed to flash the brightest, sweetest, most innocent smile at the target, and placed her hand on the target’s to allow him to kiss the back of her hand. “This is such a wonderful shindig you’ve constructed for yourself!” she said in a wispy manner, pulling out the best Coruscanti accent she could muster.

The sudden (yet flawless) 180 in her personality was so impressive that it sent a chill down Cassian’s spine and ended in a twitch deep in his core.

“I’d also like you to meet my girlfriend, who had a considerable hand in the orchestra choice as well as the food spread,” the target said, gesturing her girlfriend to come over to them from another group of people she was trying to entertain.

The target’s girlfriend stood at the same height as Jyn. Her skin was warm and a few shades darker than Cassian himself, and her icy grey eyes complemented her black, wildly curly hair. Although already a woman physically, she had the demeanor of an excited teenager as she shook his and Jyn’s hands with a warm welcome.

“Your dress is _so_ lovely, my dear Kestrel, you _must_ tell me who the designer is!” the girlfriend gushed.

The energy caught Jyn a little off-guard, because one of her heels gave in just a bit and Cassian wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her more tightly to his side. “You’ll have to excuse my fiancée; she was so nervous about making a good impression that she might have had one too many shots before coming.”

Jyn gave her most graceful giggle and rested her head on Cassian’s shoulder like a doting fiancée would. “Darling, why would you call me out like that? You’re such a meanie,” she said, but Cassian could hear a faint warning tone in her voice as it oozed through Jyn’s toothy smile just before she pinched his side with her manicured nails, away from the view of the couple in front of them.

The target instead laughed. “Well, please do enjoy what we have to offer. And make yourselves comfortable. If you’ll excuse me, I have more guests to greet, but we _must_ chat later!”

Cassian nodded subtly and bowed a little again. “Indeed, no need to rush on our behalf!”

As the couple walked away, he turned to Jyn, who was still looking uncomfortable in her heels. “You have to be careful, _darling_ , because these Imps scrutinize every square centimeter of you for any sort of weakness.”

“You think I don’t know that?” she hissed back, clutching her impractically tiny purse to her chest. “I’ll be better once I’ve eaten. Do you see the food over there? Because I do. And if I’m only here to be _decoration_ for your arm, then I’m going to make _damn sure_ that I get something good out of it.”

Cassian couldn’t help but let out a small laugh and a wry grin. “Like eating food that isn’t mess hall food?”

Jyn returned the grin with one of her own, one of her actual grins and not one of Kestrel’s. “My only disappointment is that Leia didn’t give me a larger purse to smuggle food out of here.

He rolled his eyes and gave her a light push at the small of her back towards the food table. “Alright, just go. But keep an eye open for anything suspicious, yeah?”

“Aye aye, _Captain_ ,” she said, placing a bit too much sex appeal and emphasis on the word “Captain” as she sauntered away.

He closed his eyes and sighed exasperatedly at how much of a tease she was, but opening his eyes was probably the bigger mistake as he got an eyeful of Jyn’s swaying hips, a motion forced upon her as a result of wearing such high heels.

Cassian looked downwards as if to contemplate what to do next, but in reality he was checking to see if his erection was obvious.

Thankfully, it wasn’t.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

A waiter droid rolled by him and came to a gentle stop. “Corellian Sparkling Cider?” it asked, extending an arm forward with a tray full of flute glasses.

Cassian glanced at the droid, his face defaulting back to the Joreth Sward charm. “Perchance, is this hard cider?”

“Yes, sir.”

He grabbed two for himself.

* * *

While Jyn stayed close to Cassian, nibbling at the small bites of food she collected for herself, Cassian took in just enough alcohol to enhance the swagger in Joreth’s step. With each group of Imperials he conversed with, he cast the occasional glance at the target, who was busy doing some wooing of his own. He managed to stare at the couple often enough to know that the data chip was, in fact, merely sitting in his coat pocket.

It was a slow and tedious process to naturally make his way back to the target for the data chip extraction, but at least he was able to obtain additional bits of information that would be worthy of reporting back to Draven. At the very least, Cassian was able to note dimly that plenty of Imperial men do indeed wear the underwear Leia had assigned him, the outlines showing faintly through their pants.

After about an hour of mingling, he managed to catch the eye of the target and gave an acknowledging nod his way, which was just the right amount of encouragement the target apparently needed to finally make his way over to him and Jyn with his girlfriend.

“Enjoying your time here, Sward?” the target asked, clearly feeling a little flush from all the Corellian sparkling cider he drank with each guest he mingled with.

Cassian smiled back, deliberately swaying just a bit to reduce suspicion. “Indeed, you have quite the guest list! To think you even have invited guests from the mid-rim planets- it certainly is quite an eye-opening experience, talking to them.”

“See that, darling? I _knew_ it’d be good to invite guests from all over!” the target said, flashing an “I told you so” look at her.

If Cassian wasn’t paying such close attention, he would’ve missed the subtle eye roll coming from the girlfriend as she giggled at the target. “Stop being so silly,” she said playfully, but she eyed Cassian in apology. He smiled warmly and nodded yet again in acknowledgement, and it seemed to ease her tension just a little.

“Yeah, nothing like the exploitation of the less-fortunate to get ahead, eh?” Jyn mumbled after swallowing some kind of juicy meatball on a toothpick.

The target and his girlfriend immediately stopped laughing.

Cassian stared back at Jyn, wide-eyed.

Jyn seemed to realize that her inside voice accidentally came out as an outside voice, and she looked up at Cassian with hesitation, as if trying to figure out how to talk her way out of the hole she just dug herself.

Cassian chuckled nervously. “Kestrel, my dear, your humor is as dry as your drinks!” He pulled Jyn into a hug and, pretending to plant a kiss near her ear, he mumbled through her hair, “Do _not_ break character. Understood?”

He pulled away from her, but half a beat later, Jyn burst in a fit of giggles and threw herself right back at Cassian’s arms.

“Oh, please excuse me,” she announced rather obnoxiously, swaying just a bit to feign inebriation as well. “I’ve had just a bit too much to drink, and I’m feeling a little frisky, my dear,” she said, pressing her body even more firmly against Cassian’s while her soft, warm, wet tongue traced its way up his neck to just below his earlobe.

He nearly groaned in pleasure at the sensation, but he managed to maintain enough control for a soft sigh before laughing and tugging her close to help her keep her balance.

“Sweetheart, you can’t be doing that out in public,” Cassian chided her gently, feeling a rush of blood centering in between his legs.

“Why not?” she asked, pouting. “We’re still young, aren’t we? Surely you can forgive me for doing such _risky_ _things_ ,” she whined, her hands roaming down his back- _What is she doing?_ \- before resting firmly on the curve of his ass.

Cassian’s face turned bright red at the rather compromising position Jyn put him in, and he felt a resounding slap against his rear end. He jumped up slightly, nearly yelping at the sudden spank.

It should’ve hurt. It should’ve annoyed him.

Instead, he found himself rather enjoying the tingling sensation her hand left behind, as well as the additional twitch in his cock that resulted from it.

It was then that Cassian Andor finally understood the benefit of wearing such constricting underwear: he could feel himself grow harder at the feel of Jyn’s every curve on him, but the underwear was so restricting that his pants still hadn’t yet given him away to everyone else.

_Thank the Force, Leia._

He was still fully aware that Jyn’s last words were a warning to him: _Cut me some slack; I’m not used to these kinds of ops_.

Luckily, their rather risqué display worked, because the target and his girlfriend looked at each other and laughed with Jyn. “You’ve got a bit of a feisty one on your hands after all, eh Sward?” the target asked. “Seems like she keeps you on your toes quite a bit!”

Cassian laughed heartily. “She most certainly does.” _Stars, if that ain’t the kriffing truth._

He looked at Jyn and pushed her upright.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to empty my bladder,” he said, pointing in the general direction behind the couple. He pretended to stumble forward, almost putting too much weight onto the target’s girlfriend as he crashed into her arms. “Oh, sorry my dear, I most certainly did not mean to-“ he backed up and bumped into the target, nearly stepping on his boot. “My word, it seems I’ve had too much to drink as well, my apologies,” he said again, turning around to pull the target into an embrace.

“Do watch over my fiancée for me while I head to the toilets, will you? Don’t want her to wander off too far while I’ve gone to relieve myself,” Cassian asked of him as his hand snaked down to the target’s pocket to extract the chip.

The target seemed all too eager to do a favor for Joreth, and he nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Sward, you have my word!” Cassian was sure at this point that Jyn was holding back the most dramatic of eye rolls, and he smiled a little to himself in amusement before finally fishing the data chip out of the target’s pocket and deposited it in his own before heading back towards the halls where the bathrooms were.

When the coast was clear, he looked over his shoulder to confirm no one had followed him.

The hall was empty.

He quickly made his way past the bathroom entrance and turned the corner to a hallway with an alcove that he could hide in. Swiftly, he pulled a duplicator out from the inside coat of his pocket, loaded with an empty data chip, and added the target’s data chip to replicate. The device was rather rudimentary, and had no special dials or fancy designs, but as the meter of lights slowly increased in number to indicate the copying progress, Cassian was just glad that the duplicator was small and discreet, even _if_ it was a bit slow.

 _Come on,_ he thought, staring intently at the duplicator. _Hurry, before someone comes wandering here…_

The row of lights suddenly flashed in all-green, a sign that the duplication was complete, and Cassian ripped out the target’s data chip, sighing with relief.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” he heard someone say right behind his back.

Cassian froze.

Not once did he consider that the target’s _girlfriend_ would have suspected him of doing anything- he’d only focused on the Imperial officers in attendance of the party.

Slowly, he pocketed the data chip as he turned around, his face defaulting back to Joreth’s default smile. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to insinuate,” he said with a small chuckle.

“Don’t try to play coy with me,” she said, stepping even closer to his space. Cassian backed up by a step, but he was stuck in the confined space of the alcove. He let himself get trapped.

The girlfriend placed a hand on his chest, just above where the duplicator rested. Cassian’s heartrate spiked considerably, but he kept his breathing as even as possible.

“My dear, I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at,” he said once more, staring her down while trying to calculate a risk assessment for where he could strike her if she tried to subdue him.

She gazed into his eyes, and Cassian could see a look of hunger and excitement reflected in hers. Her lipstick was a bright, deadly red, and her equally red dress wrapped tightly around her slender body. Different from Jyn, the target’s girlfriend certainly had curve to boast, not the least which included her breasts, which was easy to make out due to her plunging neckline (and, oh, it _plunged_ ).

The target’s girlfriend licked her lips as she let her hands wander down his chest, then his sides, and finally to the belt of his coat.

“Don’t think I haven’t caught you looking at me all afternoon,” she cooed.

 _Oh._ That’s _what she was referring to._

The target’s girlfriend eventually unbuckled his coat belt. She ran a palm across the bulge in his pants and he left out a soft sigh.

Cassian realized he was being handed a win- he hadn’t been caught stealing the data chip after all- but as she continued down to cup his balls and squeezed gently, he bit down on his lip to stifle a moan as he started running a risk assessment in his head.

_Pleasure her here and now, and have her promise not tell anyone._

He grabbed her wrist before she could unbuckle the belt around his pants.

_Wait, but what about Jyn?_

_What_ about _Jyn?_

Cassian pulled her in, nibbling gently on her neck. She threw her head back, a gasp escaping her lips.

_She could be mad at you for fucking the target’s girlfriend._

_But she’s not even interested in you like that; how could it be any of her business?_

“Oh _Joreth_ ,” she laughed playfully, gripping the sides of his jacket.

 _It_ has _been a while since you’ve had sex._

_No one here is going to see you again after today anyway; just relieve yourself._

His hands gripped the sides of her face and he pulled her in for a kiss, his tongue ghosting her lower lip before closing the gap between them.

_You’ve been tense for the last few weeks now._

_Use the girlfriend to get this out of your system, and put the data chip back in the target’s jacket._

_Forget about the fact that it’s not Jyn you’re fucking._

With that rationale hanging in his mind, he spun her around and pushed her up against the wall of the alcove and hiked her dress up to reach for the folds between her legs.

“If you want any part of me, you’ll have to be a good girl and keep this a secret,” he muttered in her ear, playing the part, his voice low and husky and hungry.

She let out another gasp as his middle finger drew from her inner moisture and used it to rub circles around her clit. Her knees trembled slightly and Cassian could feel her thighs tightening around his hand. Smirking, he pressed his forehead against the girlfriend’s and stared deep in her eyes.

“Tell me how much you want me,” he said softly, coaxing it out of her.

The target’s girlfriend shivered at his tone of voice, and Cassian felt grateful for the seduction experience he’d gained through his years of trial and error.

“So bad,” she managed to say, and she gasped again when he rewarded her response by shoving a finger in and brushing his fingertip against the roof of her vagina.

“Fuck me, Joreth,” she whimpered, her hands scrambling to reach down her plunging neckline to pull out a condom. Cassian grabbed it and wasted no time unbuckling and unzipping his pants, unsheathing his fully hardened cock from the hole of his briefs before rolling the condom as far down his length as possible.

“Try not to be too loud,” he whispered in her ear as he picked her up and sandwiched her back against the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist and, as he guided himself into her, he tried (unsuccessfully) to get the image of Jyn in _her_ dress out of his mind. The harder he drove into the girlfriend, and the harder he squeezed her ass, the more he wondered what Jyn would feel like in comparison; if her legs would grip around his waist harder, if her breasts would press just as firmly against his jaw, or if, as he fucked her hungrily, she would cry out his name in ecstasy, in the same way that the target’s girlfriend had just done for Joreth as she turned into a breathless, boneless puddle in his arms.

How badly he wished he was burying his face in Jyn’s bosom instead of the target’s girlfriend.

How he desired to be gripping Jyn’s ass and slamming her hips down to meet his own.

How great it would feel to have her walls clamp down around his shaft.

But she wasn’t Jyn.

It could never _be_ Jyn.

Jyn just wasn’t interested in him that way.

Still, he got the Intel Draven had asked them to acquire, _and_ he’d been solicited for sex by a pleasant-looking woman.

Cassian would take what he could get out of this day and just run with it; he only had so much candy left to calm himself down, after all.


	4. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meetings are never fun, much less _long_ meetings, but Cassian makes the experience twice as excruciating for Jyn to sit through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka: That Mouth Thing

_Prologue_

**Bodhi Rook**  
**[12:16]**  
Tob'eh: Bodhi Rook?  
Rook: ...yes?  
Tob'eh: This is Dawes Tob'eh, Thane's friend?  
Rook: Ah, yes, I'm aware. What's up?  
Tob'eh: I see you sitting next to Jyn. Help me get her to make a move on the captain?  
Rook: No way will she say yes to that.

 **[12:19]**  
Tob'eh: Come on, man! You already know she should be climbing on the captain's lap! It's not even a secret dude. Let's get them to finally seal the deal  
Rook: ...Weren't you the last guy she fucked?  
Tob'eh: No regrets  
Rook: The kriff are you doing rooting against yourself?  
Tob'eh: It was a casual thing! No big deal.  
Tob'eh: Anyways she says she's interested in only going horizontal with one person now.

 **[12:24]**  
Tob'eh: Three guesses who it could be  
Tob'eh: Come on guess!  
Rook: Still, you can't get her to make a move on Cassian of all people  
Tob'eh: 20 creds to whoever gets her to do it first, in front of witnesses?

 **[12:30]**  
Tob'eh: I'll take that as a no?  
Rook: Bump it to 30 credits and I'll have her making a move on Cassian before the end of this mega-meeting...  
Rook: Without. Her. Realizing it.  
Tob'eh: What? How the kriff do you plan to pull that off?  
Rook: 30 creds, y/n?  
Tob'eh: Alright fine. Not like we're going anywhere for the next half hour anyway.  
Tob'eh: READY GO!

* * *

If there was anything Jyn hated more than meetings, it was _long meetings_.

She knew meetings like these were a staple of the Imperial machine, droning on and on about processes to the point where it was reduced to an accepted charade, a song and dance to get through the day. The Alliance have taken note of their methods recently, it seemed, because this meeting had been going on for just under a standard hour and she was at her wit's end. One hour down in three separate one-hour meetings morphed into one huge meeting.

But since Cassian was leading every single one of them, calling it "one huge meeting" was inaccurate; it was one huge _tease_.

It wasn't that Cassian was boring- in fact, he was chosen to lead each meeting precisely for his ability to gain (and keep) the attention of the audience for far longer than other officers on base. For Mothma, this was an asset. For Jyn, however…

There was a nervous tic of sorts that he never got rid of as an intelligence officer. She couldn't even put a label on it; it was a thing he did, as he nodded along and listened to other people talking to him, as he contemplated the information he's received, as he deliberated on a proper response to give. It was a pressing of his lips, a running of his tongue over his teeth, a teasing flick of his tongue as it darted out to moisten his lips.

There was no delicate way to name it other than "that mouth thing".

Short meetings ran by Cassian were doable. If K2 had ever noticed it (and he probably did, they were _only_ joined at the hip 24/7), she'd venture a guess and calculate that she only saw his tongue flick out once or twice in a meeting, on average. Any meeting not led by him was even easier- she could just turn her attention to the speaker and never look at him. But no, today _had_ to be a day to have a long meeting, led almost entirely by Cassian disseminating information, and-

She wasn't sure what he had said just then, but it was definitely the sixth tongue flicker she's seen from him in the last half-hour.

It was an absolute crime that she felt hot and bothered whenever he did this. It was distracting. It was annoying. It...made her throat dry.

For as long as this mega-meeting was set to last, they were somewhat important, at least, but it was hard to stay focused on anything as she stared at the way his mouth moved, trying to mask her fixation on his lips and the possibilities of them roaming her body, brushing against her own lips, nipping at her neck, circling around her nipples like a delicate treat-

"Lieutenant Erso, did you have a question?"

Her trance was broken and her eyelashes fluttered as she regained her focus. "I'm sorry, what?"

Cassian looked at her with a bit of concern found at the corners of his mouth, but his face was otherwise neutral. "You're staring at me like you have a question. Do you need me to elaborate on something?"

Jyn's face heated up at being called out like that. Her own mask of neutrality had actually dropped so significantly that Cassian genuinely felt there was something wrong with her (not that he was wrong about his assumptions per se, just that he wasn't wrong in the way most people would initially assume). She shook her head after pressing her lips together, belatedly realizing that her mouth was slightly agape and she'd been running her tongue hungrily across the tips of her teeth.

She inwardly wished he would leave it at that and carry on, but then he smoothed his own tongue over his teeth, his lips puckered into a kissing gesture for a brief moment before flattening, and looked at her with his eyebrows slightly raised before asking, "Are you sure?" His attention was completely directed towards her, as though there was no one else in the room but her, and Jyn felt fuzzy and floaty from it as the packed room started to fade away and leave her in the center of his universe.

Jyn shook her head more forcefully now, exaggerating in order to shake the daydream out of her own thick skull, and replied, "I'm fine- please, continue."

Cassian's eyes scanned her up and down briefly, hesitantly, before relenting and turning his gaze back to the center of the room.

She breathed a sigh of relief at no longer being in the spotlight, and she fought to ease her quickened heart rate until she felt a small vibration coming from the datapad in her lap. Curiously, she turned it over and noticed she had one new notification from…Avella?

> **Avella Moslex**  
>  **[11:43]**  
>  Moslex: Get caught drooling over Andor much?

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up and saw Avella leaning against the wall, behind Cassian, giving her a light smirk as she waited for Jyn to come up with a response.

Jyn began to her mouth and give a retort of some sort, but thought better of it as she found herself tuning in to Cassian just in time to hear him say "Once their position has been triangulated, we can then-" and shifted her gaze down to her datapad to both type a response _and_ cover the blush spreading throughout her face.

> **Avella Moslex**  
>  **[11:45]**  
>  Erso: Excuse you, I wasn't.  
>  Moslex: Pff. Please. Stop kidding yourself  
>  Moslex: You really should make a move on Andor soon, though  
>  Moslex: The longer you take, the drier you’ll get down there  
>  Moslex: You’ll make Tatooine look like a kriffing rainforest by comparison  
>  Erso: WHAT THE KRIFF

Another vibration rumbled softly under Jyn's hands as another notification popped up from...

Wait, _Dawes_?

> **Dawes Tob'eh  
>  [11:45]**  
>  Tob'eh: So when you decided to hit me up for that "sparring session" the other day, were you looking at me the same way you did the captain?

Jyn twisted subtly to her right to feign a stretch and scanned the room until she saw Dawes sitting one row behind her, several seats away. The dark-skinned pilot, her most recent paramour, was grinning at her. His white teeth practically sparkled as he sent a teasing wink her way.

> **Avella Moslex**  
>  **[11:50]**  
>  Erso: Avella, did you point this out to Dawes as well?
> 
> **[11:52]**  
>  Erso: Avella, I can see you trying to hide your face from laughter, could you answer the question?
> 
> **[11:54]**  
>  Erso: AVELLA.
> 
>  
> 
> **Dawes Tob'eh**  
>  **[11:53]**  
>  Tob'eh: Gonna answer the question, or can I tease you some more?  
>  Tob'eh: Alternatively, I could tease you in other ways to get the frustration out
> 
> **[11:55]**  
>  Erso: Not this time. I think I'm kind of over having so many different sparring partners, really.  
>  Tob'eh: Was my performance that bad?  
>  Erso: One of the best, actually  
>  Tob'eh: Score!  
>  Erso: But I think I'm ready to just have one sparring partner this time.  
>  Tob'eh: The offer for my "fighting skills" is still on the table either way. I'm a decent shot, if you know what I mean  
>  Erso: ...wouldn't you rather be with Avella instead?  
>  Tob'eh: Who, Moslex? I mean, she's cute and all b

"Is there something you need me to clarify, Tob'eh?" Cassian asked, and the pair snapped their attentions back to Cassian. Jyn could see Avella pursing her lips to prevent a show of laughter in her peripheral vision.

"Not at all, Captain," Dawes replied smoothly before resting his chin on his propped-up hand. "In fact, I was just looking at the provided map when you mentioned triangulating our target's location. Was just curious about the process."

Cassian's face seemed to brighten at the response. "Oh! Alright." He nodded and wet his lips (Jyn mentally marked a ninth tally for "that mouth thing"). "If you'd like to discuss things in-depth, feel free to reach out to me after lunch."

"Copy that- I’d _love_ to go _in-depth_ with you, Captain," Dawes said with a similarly energetic vibe to match, but the wink he gave Cassian hinted at a different kind of enthusiasm that made the tips of Cassian's ears go red. Jyn had to give credit where it was due, though- in spite of Cassian’s flustered response, he kept his lips a straight line and his eyebrows unfurrowed as he cleared his throat and continued with his talking points for something that sounded vaguely like grabbing intel for the next major mission in Imperial territory. Even Dawes’ charm had its limits, it seemed.

> **Dawes Tob'eh**  
>  **[12:03]**  
>  Tob'eh: but I'm not sure she's THAT into me.  
>  Erso: She's literally joking with you at my expense, and you took the bait.  
>  Tob'eh: ey, don't get it twisted, people can do that.  
>  Erso: True, but not Avella, and certainly not at my expense.  
>  Tob'eh: ...true.
> 
> **[12:11]**  
>  Tob'eh: Tell ya what, I'll make a move on Avella if you make a move on the captain.
> 
> **[12:15]**  
>  Tob'eh: Jyn, I can LITERALLY see you messaging Avella and not me.  
>  Erso: New datapad, who this?  
>  Tob'eh: Alright, alright, two can play at that game…

Jyn looked back up at Avella, wondering what Dawes might be planning with her. Except Avella was no longer staring at her datapad, and was instead wagging her stylus pen at Jyn while darting her eyes at Cassian in a barely-subtle gesture of encouragement.

She wasn't going to take the bait. Jyn wouldn't tell Avella the agreement she had with Dawes over the matter, but a deal's a deal. Jyn would do no such thing towards Cassian, even if it meant that Dawes would have to hit on Avella- who seemed to be interested in him. So she pursed her lips slightly and turned her face slightly to the left, then slightly to the right, not taking her eyes off Avella, in a subtle head shake.

She made the mistake of looking away from Avella and towards Cassian, however, whose playfully pinkish tongue peeked out slightly, almost like a game of peekaboo, to swipe his lower lip yet again (what was this, Mouth Thing instance number 12?) and Jyn felt herself mirror the action on her own chapped lips. In another surge of heat bubbling up from her core, she looked back down at her datapad.

> **Avella Moslex**  
>  **[12:35]**  
>  Erso: Avella, stop teaming up with Dawes to poke fun at me like this  
>  Moslex: No idea what you’re talking about, Jyn.  
>  Erso: Not gonna work on me. Stop distracting me, we’re still in the middle of a meeting.  
>  Moslex: Right, I’ll leave you to keep thirsting over Cassian.  
>  Erso: I am NOT thirsting over anyb

"I'm starving," Bodhi leaned over and whispered, and Jyn immediately stopped typing and turned to look directly at him to stop him from focusing on the conversation on her datapad.

She checked the time and realized that there was just under a half-hour left until the meeting was over and everyone could head over for lunch. “Same. You think they brought packets of candy for dessert like that one time?”

“Nah,” he shrugged, his eyes having moved back to the front to feign attention. “I already checked with the kitchen when I brought in the food shipment this morning- no sweet treats today, sadly. But we do get steamed buns for dinner tonight, so there’s that, if you’re looking forward to it.”

Jyn hissed a faint “yes” and nodded victoriously, but no sooner had she done so that she felt her stomach gurgle and a growl sounded loud enough for even Bodhi to hear. Placing her datapad face down on the table, she cradled her torso to mask the sound, but her friend was already chuckling from having heard it.

“I didn’t realize I was _this_ hungry,” Jyn mumbled, tearing her gaze away from Bodhi out of embarrassment and bringing her attention back to Cassian as he went on to discuss an upcoming mission as a final talking point for the meeting.

She heard a crinkle of plastic to her left and a slight clack on the table soon after. A wrapped lollipop was placed in front of her.

Jyn turned to Bodhi. “You brought snacks?”

Bodhi grinned and slid the candy even closer to her. “Yeah, I brought a lollipop in case I got hungry during the meeting. Honestly, I was gonna start eating it, but it seems like you need it more than I do.”

She slid the candy back.

“No, no, I can’t accept this,” Jyn said with a kind smile. “It’s your candy, just eat- I’m used to going a while without food anyway,” she explained.

Bodhi pushed the candy back in her direction. “Seriously, Jyn, just take it.”

Jyn shook her head. “It’s fine, Bodhi. I’ve gone soft- this kind of starvation is only a mild inconvenience compared to any actual hunger.”

She was indeed hungry, but she couldn’t bear to see her own friends go hungry while she ate. _Feed others first before yourself_ , she was taught, _unless you absolutely cannot go on any longer_. She knew herself better than anyone else; this level of hunger was nothing compared to her Partisan days, let alone her jail time. The headache was starting to reach the throbbing stage, and her stomach churned and twisted itself in hopes that it could squeeze even a drop of digestible food, but this was still manageable. It was nothing, really.

And, if she were honest, part of her wanted to hang on to the hunger pang to give herself something to focus on other than Cassian’s mouth.

Bodhi sighed, but took the lollipop nonetheless and unwrapped it. The pale green taffy twisted together with its dark brown, almost black-colored partner in a helix along the length of the stick. Jyn had a sneaking suspicion of what flavor the lollipop might be, and it made her hunger even more pronounced. She felt the growl in her stomach again and she squeezed her body tighter, vainly hoping that the sound would be muffled, but the hollow feeling that came from it couldn’t be ignored. Now even _she_ felt the need to lick her lips just enough to keep the skin from sticking together, and she wondered idly if Cassian licked his lips to mask the kind of hunger she was feeling as she continued to stare at the candy. Her lips pursed slightly, almost imperceptibly, and she looked up at Bodhi and jutted her chin out to tell him hurry up and eat the kriffing thing.

Bodhi brought the lollipop up to his lips, and her own lips subconsciously parted just a sliver in emulation. He opened his mouth to take the lollipop in, but instead he paused and grinned at her, still not eating the confection. Before she could ask why he was acting so strangely, however, he saw how her eyes widened just a little and his eyebrows raised back at her in a tease.

“You know how in some cultures across the galaxy, there’s a song and dance that people engage in for gift-giving?” He asked suddenly.

Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, but she nodded nonetheless.

“And how those folks have to reject an offer for something twice before finally accepting it a third time, and any time before or after that is considered insulting?”

She nodded again.

“Good.” He flicked his wrist so that the lollipop was now near Jyn’s lips. “This is the third time I’m offering this to you, so take it now before you insult me, ‘kay?”

Jyn could only stare blankly in surprise and blink.

“For Force’s sake, Jyn, just _eat the damn thing already_.”

Jyn so badly wanted to scowl at him and question why he seemed so eager to get her to eat candy when he’d normally drop the offer at the first rejection, but she thought better of it and caved to her hunger to let the mint and dark chocolate flavors swirl across her tongue. There was a heavy sigh of satisfaction through her nose as her lips closed around the lollipop, and she sat back in her seat, settling into an elated sort of slump.

The candy was the right mix of sweet and bitter, deep and bright, but the more she indulged in the flavor, the more the lollipop became less of a solution and more of a double-edged sword. Although it was delicious- her favorite candy flavor, actually- it slowly dawned on her as she sucked on it some more that the flavors were the exact ones that reminded Jyn of the man standing right in front of her, across from the table, who once again sucked on his teeth to the point where his lips puckered and moved off to the side before grinning at another rebel from the back of the room who apparently had something good to say in response to him.

 _And that makes 14_ , she thought.

It was unfair, really. Completely unfair.

She flicked at the handle of what was now her lollipop, pulling back just enough to lap at the drool starting to drip on the underside.

His lips, however thin they were, looked soft, and would glisten slightly whenever he licked them (which was far too frequently for one sitting, if anyone ever asked for her opinion). If she could just bring her own lips past the scruff of his facial hair, letting it scratch at her own face while she sucked on the sweet flesh between it…

Jyn reflexively sucked on the lollipop at the thought, and a surge of bittersweet chocolate flooded her mouth.

Cassian suddenly paused mid-sentence, although Jyn wasn’t fully paying attention to what the sentence was, exactly. He looked down at the table, where the tips of his fingers rested gently, looking pensive, then his eyelashes fluttered in a flustered series of blinks, sighed whilst grinning in disbelief, and licked his lips yet again before bringing his head back up to keep talking. She wasn’t sure why he felt the need to stop, because the second half of his sentence seemed innocent and benign as he said, “-a younger human, who likely knows how to covertly use a duplicator, someone who can clean up and make themselves look Imperial-“

 _How soft were his lips?_ she wondered. He licked his lips so often by now that she wasn’t sure if it was just constantly dry, or if it was a nervous tic, or if it was because he, too, had something on his mind that made his throat go dry.

“I’d like to nominate Kyrell to do this mission, but I have concerns that, as a recent defector, he could at least consult for whatever team happens to form-“

The part of his tongue that would sneak out was a small tease, the tip peeking out like a game of hide-and-seek. How would it feel if that part wandered out just a bit more and traced a line down her neck? Jyn shivered slightly at the thought, and she crossed her arms to hide the gesture from everyone else, most especially Avella, who would be keen to message her and call her out on it without hesitation. She heard her datapad buzz slightly, and she knew it was either coming from Avella or Dawes, but she wasn’t going to let herself take the bait, not when her mind was already so far gone, preoccupied with thoughts of Cassian’s mouth and tongue, wondering how the combination would feel with his scruff raking against the side of her neck, against her breasts, between her legs-

“-unfortunately, we’re torn between sending someone who hasn’t been noticed yet by any Imperial officers but lacks experience in covert ops, and someone who’s skilled in such but risks being caught by someone who might know them-“

Jyn grabbed the stick of the lollipop and let the length of the candy drag slowly across her open tongue. She twirled the stick, letting the mint and dark chocolate flavors pattern themselves across her taste buds.

Cassian scanned the room as he continued talking, but paused briefly to lick his lips again- _Mouth Thing number 16_ \- and take a swig of water. She noticed that the tips of his ears started to go red and his forehead was moistened with his own sweat. _Poor guy is so tired_ , she thought, _having to talk almost non-stop for nearly three hours in a room crammed with people for some ill-advised “mega meeting”…_

Her lips enclosed around the lollipop as she continued to suck on it and wear it down. If only she could help him relax, get settled between her legs as they wrapped around his waist and his mouth continued to explore new territory, brushing the fabric of her shirt aside, lips and tongue testing the taste of the dip in her collarbone, or the pulse point right under her jaw-

The meeting was visibly starting to wear Cassian down, and he shifted uncomfortably as he paused again and took another drink of water. Avella was forthcoming enough to set another container of water down next to the now-empty cup, and Cassian nodded at her in thanks. Jyn could see Avella wink at Cassian in response as she retreated to her spot behind him, along the wall, and Cassian had to squint at her in confusion. Nonetheless, he took yet another drink of water, then stuck his tongue out even further to lick his lips and catch the stray drops of water trailing down his beard and mustache.

The sight of that tongue lapping up water from his facial hair was starting to make her feel a bit damp herself- is that how Cassian would look if he emerged from between her legs? Would he use that tongue to make her core quiver and her legs go limp? Would he use his mouth to play in the valleys of her stomach first before dipping into the slick between her legs? Or would they start atop the hills of her breasts? Her thighs clenched slightly as her walls twitched at the thought. With the lollipop still in her mouth, Jyn’s tongue swirled around the tip of it, the motions wearing the candy down more and more until she could feel the stick prodding her tongue gently. Had she been licking it that much, or was time simply going by a lot faster than she thought?

Cassian was starting to stumble on his own words the longer he spoke, his voice stuttering in a distracted staccato, and his eyes began to shift uneasily between different parts of the room and down on the table, arms crossed. Although Jyn herself thought this meeting length was incredibly asinine, she continued to pity the man for being subjected to such a cruel task. He shook his head to steel himself and sucked on his teeth yet again- _number 19 now, was it?_ \- before continuing: “-ultimately the couple chosen for this mission will be decided by Princess Leia, but you’re all here in this meeting because we thought it pertinent for you to know in the event that you are subjected to assignments tangentially related to the larger goal of obtaining a copy of this intel-“

 _He looks like he’d know how to bite_ , Jyn noted idly, and her fantasizing continued as she wondered how it’d feel for Cassian to rake his teeth across her nipples, or even nibble on them, before his tongue soothed the area and swirled outwards. Would he use his teeth on her clit? Would they scrape gently against it, or would he press his teeth down on it, sandwiching it with his languid tongue, adding a gentle bit of suction at the end to send shivers down her spine? Would he come from behind and gather his hands up to her breasts, or (better yet) to her neck, pressing his fingers at just the right spots on either side, gently at first but increasingly firmer by the second, to make her lightheaded and dizzy with pleasure? And then- only then- he could bite down on her earlobe and tug at it, letting his warm tongue lap at the skin until the pain and pleasure combined so sweetly that she cried out his name, begging for more, not wanting the moment to stop-

She bit down on the lollipop and the crunching snap echoed through the room.

“Lieutenant Erso!”

Jyn snapped out of her daydream and her eyes re-adjusted its focus to find Cassian staring straight at her, lips tight, face disconcerted and extremely frustrated.

She stared back with her jaw agape, unsure of how to respond.

“Hungry much?” Cassian asked, clearly standing at the fringes of his patience.

Her tongue made a lap around her lips to clean herself up of the syrupy goodness. “Starving, actually.”

The tension broke as parts of the room erupted in laughter. Out of the corner of her eye, Bodhi’s shoulders shook with restrained laughter as he hid his grin with his fist. Avella hid her laughter behind her datapad, and she was staring straight at Jyn in a way that made her shift uncomfortably in her seat. This wasn’t the kind of attention she wanted to attract, least of all while in the middle of thinking things she really shouldn’t-

Cassian cleared his throat. “Alright, if the rest of you are also feeling this way, I think now’s a good time for us to conclude this meeting. Any and all parties who are at risk of being directly affected by the results of this mission will have a summary of this meeting sent to their network addresses, so expect them on your datapads by end of day. Dismissed.”

Jyn sighed with relief when most of the room hastily got up to leave and head for the mess hall. Bodhi nudged her, and she looked back at him to find him still grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Don’t,” she warned.

“Seriously, Jyn, could you _be_ any more obvious about eating the damn thing? The whole room could tell how hungry you are!”

“I was starving, okay?” she said in defense, the pink now starting to show on her cheeks.

Bodhi cracked up. “Well,” he said after coming down from his laughing fit, “if it makes you feel any better, I think Cassian’s also hungry. Maybe even a bit hungrier than you.”

She tilted her head. “How could you even know that? He was talking the whole time.”

His grin widened. “Let’s just say I have my ways. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have 30 credits to claim. I _do_ have you to thank for it, however…”

Jyn wanted to ask why he was being so mysterious with his words all of a sudden, but before she could take the lollipop stick out of her mouth to yell at him to come back and explain himself, he’d already sauntered over to Dawes’ seat. The pilot looked a bit grumbly as he fished out a credit chip from his pocket, and Bodhi practically skipped out of the meeting room. Dawes’ eyes met hers soon after, however, and he grinned as he made his way over to her.

“So,” Dawes said sweetly, “About our little agreement-“

She rose from her own chair and held a hand up to stop him. “Before you continue, no, I am _not_ making a move on Cassian,” she insisted.

Dawes shrugged nonchalantly. “Actually, I was going to say ‘a deal’s a deal’. You kept up your end of the bargain, and now I have to honor my end of it. Thanks for the entertainment though,” he said with a wink, and before she could ask him to explain what he was going on about, he, too, turned and made his way over to Avella.

Jyn wondered why everyone around her seemed to be skirting some larger statement that’s being left unsaid, but as she watched Avella lean a little closer to Dawes and pout her lips just enough to appear cuter, she decided to just drop the issue and leave the room.

The meeting might have been boring, and lunch only a little less so, but the time she spent afterwards- hands wandering across her body, fingers getting slicker from slipping in and out of herself rhythmically, panting as the shivers skirted down her spine while she re-envisioned the things Cassian could do to her with his mouth- more than made up for the lack of exhilaration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, everyone, for their patience as I got over a writing slump for this story. As a reminder: don't like don't read! Sometimes a poorly-worded statement can discourage someone so much they never touch that writing pad again. Maybe that's considered a weakness to some, but it doesn't mean it feels any less degrading to go through.
> 
> Until next chapter!


	5. (We're Partners)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian tries to come to terms his emotions while struggling to stay focused on anything other than Jyn's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka: Her Lips
> 
> (6 months between updates? here, have 6.8k words LOL)  
> **Unbeta'd, will fix throughout the week!

Jyn’s tongue on the tip of Cassian’s shaft was almost too much to handle.

Cassian tilted his head back until it hit the tile of his 'fresher before letting out a restrained moan, closing his eyes to focus on the sensation below.

She eagerly closed her lips around him, bobbing her head whilst lapping her tongue underneath his hardened cock. The rhythm of her sucking changed pace at will, hastening and slowing at just the right moments to keep Cassian’s pleasure at a steady level as the water continued to beat down on his face. Her lips puckered and her cheeks hollowed, allowing Cassian to feel every ridge and texture in her mouth, and his hands gripped her hair in response.

He wanted to moan louder. He wanted to abandon his restraint and feel more of her. He wanted to lift her up, shove her against the wall, and suck on her lips, biting until moans could be coaxed out from her. Between what he wanted to do to her and what he wanted her to do to him, the thoughts sent his mind spinning.

Faster and faster her head bobbed, pulling all the way back until her lips enclosed the tip again, like the lollipop she ravaged in the meeting the other day, then pushed its way back down, taking in as much of his length as possible, until it met with the soft flesh at the back of her throat.

How was it even possible for her to do that without gagging?

His hands wandered, unable to make up its mind on where to settle. Cassian caressed her head, moving down to her cheek, her jaw, anything that he could do to encourage her to keep going, to not stop, to keep the pace as she has it, even if he was nearing ever closer to the edge-

As he opened his eyes and attempted to steady his breath, Cassian let the water blur his vision. On the one hand, the water temperature was calming, but his body and breathing were anything _but_ calm. The water was supposed to wash him clean, cool him down, but the heat within him continued to rise as his mind continued with its dirty thoughts. The pleasure built up again and he closed his eyes before letting out another ragged, choked-back moan as his hands moved in time with her head, still bobbing, unrelenting.

"Jyn," he gasped, and he lowered his head to find her ocean eyes staring back at him with an innocent eagerness, hunger, and determination.

In two full strokes, Cassian’s eyes screwed shut, the fantasy coming to an abrupt end, and his hips jerked as he came in strong spurts into his own closed fist. When his eyes opened again, Jyn was gone, the image of her washed away by the shower and swirling down the drain.

Cassian hunched over as he tried to catch his breath, thankful to have a private fresher to clean himself up after all this.

It sent a shiver down his spine to think about how easy it had been to fantasize about Jyn this way, and it certainly didn’t help that the all-day meeting he conducted the other day was of any help. If anything, it made a part of him equal parts annoyed and flustered that she spent a half-hour doing things to a lollipop he wished she did to him instead.

Cassian stepped forward to let the spray hit him directly in the face, as though he still believed it was possible to simply wash away thoughts. He wanted so much of her, but it felt so selfish to simply _want_. On the surface, Jyn was a great team player, someone who integrated so well into Cassian's life and general conduct. But rather than be a carbon copy of himself, she was complementary to him; that sort of thing was rare in his line of work. It was a balance he couldn’t afford to upset, no matter how badly he wanted to pin her up against the wall and lift her tunic up, higher and higher until his hands gripped her soft breasts...

 _Andor, get a grip_ , he warned himself, and he shook the fantasy out of his head. His hand would be enough for now; he didn't really have a choice in the matter, and he was already later than usual for breakfast.

 

Cassian was thrown off by how surprisingly lively the mess hall was; was it always like this during the second half of breakfast hours?

"Cassian!" Bodhi called him over from across the hall. As he walked over, he noticed that Bodhi was sitting with the pilots this time; perhaps the Guardians and K2 had other things to do.

He also noticed Jyn, and a part of him sank when he realized that she was sitting in-between Thane and Dawes.

Not that he should’ve felt that way, though. Certainly not.

"Morning, Captain," Thane said with a warm smile and a polite head bow.

“Sergeant Kyrell.” Cassian’s head bowed back with a mild, polite expression that wasn’t quite a small, but was warm all the same. He looked over to Dawes, ready to nod in greeting to him as well, but was surprised to find Thane’s fellow pilot looking back at him with an uncomfortable level of familiarity.

Dawes Tob’eh’s gaze was friendly, but exuded a level of confidence that bordered on cocky. His smile was similarly so, as though he knew something that Cassian didn’t and wanted to dangle it teasingly over his head. It almost felt condescending, the way the smirk spread across his face the longer they held each other’s gaze. It had only been a second, maybe two in reality, but time slowed for Cassian as his calculating side ran an assessment of Dawes’ demeanor, working in overdrive to hurry and decipher the look Dawes was giving him.

Although Dawes’ eyes were a warm amber, Cassian noted a familiar glint of darkness in them, likely hiding a past that had yet to make itself known through the eye bags and creases that came with long years of war-fueled stress and fatigue. He exuded confidence and charisma by the shipload, and his darker skin smoothed over his more muscular figure. Despite his outward appearance, his general popularity with the rebels around him- all of whom had different personality types - made it safe to conclude, without needing to look at personnel files, that Dawes was a down-to-earth man who was skilled at his job. Without thinking about it too deeply, Dawes could easily be considered the type of man Cassian could have been, in another life where his parents managed to survive at least long enough to watch him grow into adulthood. If anything, Dawes bore qualities that, barring a difference in their ranks, put him at a stronger advantage for work and social interactions.

With the advantages so clearly obvious, why would Dawes look as though he were a predator hungry for prey?

Five seconds had passed. Cassian’s head tilted subtly, taking the first step in the nonverbal conversation it was clear they were having.

Dawes’ tongue darted out of his mouth just enough for Cassian to catch, and he winked. “Captain.”

Cassian’s ears went red, caught off-guard by the move. He cleared his throat. “Erm, Sergeant Tob’eh,” he responded in acknowledgement.

Dawes’ knowing smile merely widened, unsettling Cassian further.

“You’re awfully late for breakfast,” Jyn pointed out, breaking the tension between them. She gestured to the empty seat across from her, vacated by Bodhi, who made enough space for one more. “Sit with us!”

Fortunately for Cassian, the air around the table settled back down to some level of normalcy, and he chewed quietly as the others chattered away. It wasn’t that he unfriendly towards the others, surely not- rather, those at the table weren’t entirely comprised of those with which he could consider close enough to relax and engage in conversation, putting him in a position where he felt far more comfortable maintaining his default spy persona. Be hardly seen, go unheard. Observe, but make no eye contact. Keep a steady breath, lest someone sense any irregularities in rhythm and snap their attention towards you. After more than a decade of practice, it just became second nature to do it if he didn’t even feel remotely comfortable.

Entering his spy mode, however, meant that he was also shrewdly observing his surroundings, eyes darting subtly this way and that as he chewed:

Bodhi had the habit of taking care not to let his cheeks bloat whenever he drank.

Thane laughed at something Jyn had said, which warranted a highfive.

Rather than setting them down, Dawes’ utensils clattered from an inch above the table as he dropped them to grab a napkin to wipe his mouth.

Jyn’s lips closed eagerly around the extremely ripe froop in her hand as she bit into it.

_Jyn’s lips closed eagerly around the tip of his shaft._

The juices burst forth, causing her to make a noticeable slurping sound.

_Jyn slurped as she bobbed her head along his slick length, the sounds getting sloppier with each stroke of her lips._

Cassian’s observations skidded to a halt. His chewing stopped, his eyes widened, and his lashes fluttered. Had his mind actually wandered? Where had his concentration gone?

Dawes put an arm around Jyn’s shoulders in a friendly, if slightly rigorous half-embrace, laughing heartily at Jyn’s reaction to something boisterous Thane had said. The look of incredulity on her face _was_ rather amusing, but Cassian was far less amused by how close Dawes and Jyn were.

 _Calm yourself, Andor_ , he berated himself. _Just hurry up and finish eating so you can carry on with your day_.

That part of him was right- even _if_ Jyn had never mentioned it to him, it wasn’t really a secret that Jyn was engaging in dalliances with other organics in the Alliance, experimenting within the relatively safe confines of the base. And, as much as he wanted her, it was none of his business; they were adults, for starters, and she was free to do whatever (or, in this case, _whom_ ever) she wanted, even if he never chose him. His status as her partner, albeit more on a platonic level at best, implied- no, _obligated him_ to respect her privacy. She was finally given the freedom she was offered by Mon Mothma, after all- it was only fair, then, that she have the freedom to conduct herself without fear of scrutiny and judgement. All parties involved appeared to be more than enthusiastic in their consent, and if she was happy in her current situation, that was all that mattered to him.

At least, that’s all that _should_ matter, anyway. But as much as he drew that conclusion many a time before, it still didn’t change the fact that part of him was hungry for her comfort, nor did it change the fact that these visual reminders of Jyn taking in casual lovers (particularly Dawes) contributed to the tugging, sinking feeling in his heart that yearned for a deeper relationship with her. There was still a prickly feeling in the back of his mind, one that cautioned him against ruining the strong partnership and friendship they had now, no matter how much his mind and body wanted her, ultimately anchoring him and leaving him to feel adrift.

To escape the thoughts, his attention went back down to his food and he resumed chewing quietly, rhythmically, but no sooner had he done so that his spy mode kicked right back in, just in time for him to catch Jyn take another juicy bite of her froop. A few drops of purple juice dribbled down her plump, flesh-pink lips. She closed her eyes and smiled as she chewed, savoring the flavor as though eons had passed since she last had one.

The juice had begun to drip lower, lower, closer to her chin, and the hairs on Cassian’s neck raised as he fought the urge to reach out and brush his thumb against her lower lip to wipe it off.

“Jyn,” Cassian started, opting instead to point it out to her so that she could wipe it off herself, but the moment she turned her attention to him, Dawes had handed her a napkin.

“Can’t be sloppy even outside your own quarters, Erso,” Dawes teased with a tooka grin.

Her face went pink as she took the napkin from his hand and dabbed her lip clean.

Cassian tilted his head slightly and squinted curiously. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked amusedly.

Rather than giving an answer, Jyn pursed her lips in an embarrassed smile and shook her head in dismissal, as if to say, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Cassian noticed the slight crease at the corners of her lips, curving gently around them as though her words were in parenthesis, a secret aside that outsiders weren’t privy to. But when her tongue- pink and enticing- peeked out to lick her lips clean of froop juice, his throat dried, and he fought the urge to fantasize once more about pulling her in close and unclosing those parentheses to see what sorts of secrets he can coax out of her with his own lips.

“Sorry, sorry,” Dawes said, raising his hands up in concession. “Inside jokes should stay inside after all, right?”

Dawes broke out in another hearty laugh when Jyn’s face turned and even deeper shade of red.

Cassian could no longer ignore the pit in his stomach.

It was then that he decided he had quite enough of their banter, and he stood up abruptly, tray in hand. Between the mild jealousy, his shrewd sense of observation, and a lust that could only be tamed by candy he’d left behind at his quarters, he wasn’t sure what was the biggest culprit of his ire. Though he knew this feeling was entirely irrational, he wanted nothing more than to distance himself from Jyn, if only for a few moments, to collect himself.

“Hmm? Full already?” Bodhi asked. He looked up at Cassian, then back down on the tray. “You barely touched your food.”

“Got a meeting soon,” Cassian lied, turning on his heel and heading directly to the tray rack before making a speedy getaway.

 

Relief ultimately came in the form of a marble of candy with a pink and white swirl that Cassian was quick to pop in his mouth the second he re-entered his quarters.

Cassian sighed deeply as he plopped down on his desk chair. His head lolled back and he looked up at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind of everything. He was better than this, more mature than this- he should _not_ be this disconcerted about the goings-on of his work partner when she seems perfectly happy with her current arrangements.

He sighed, switching the candy from his left cheek to his right as he leaned precariously on the back legs of his chair, propping his feet up on a small portion of the corner of his desk. _Get over it, fast,_ he told himself, but he remembered an oft-whispered phrase amongst the upper ranks of the Empire during his deep-cover assignments, allegedly originating from one of the highest-ranking officials: _If only saying it would make it so._

Cassian chuckled- common ground with the enemy. Fancy that.

There was a clanking knock on the door. “Cassian,” K2 announced himself, as he always did. “I’m entering your room now.”

As the doors slid open and K2 entered the quarters, Cassian turned his head to look at his large, clunky-footed friend. “Do you ever bother to ask if you can enter after you knock?”

K2 didn’t have the ability to roll his eyes, but his head tilt was enough for Cassian to simply _feel_ it. “Don’t be so facetious, Cassian. I knock merely to announce my presence- I enter your quarters whether you like it or not.”

“That’s…a huge invasion of privacy,” he remarked slowly.

“You said I could make myself at home when you took me in,” he quipped. “So I did. In your quarters. Really, if you think about it, it’s considered ‘your quarters’ as a formality. It is, in fact, _our_ quarters.”

Cassian looked at K2 dumbfounded. It wasn’t that he disliked K2’s presence in his quarters- rather, he was just taken aback by the fact that he’d put enough thought into this argument to respond with such ease.

“Droids don’t even get quarters; we live in _bays_ ,” he added, crossing his arms.

Cassian was beat. He shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. Who am I kidding?” _Leave it to K2 to come up with the banter._

“Seeing as we’re roommates, however,” K2 continued, “Did you really want privacy? I’m only here because I was bored.”

Cassian quirked an eyebrow, all too happy to be presented with a chance to be distracted. “Care for a game of dejarik, then?”

K2’s head tilted just slightly once again. “Didn’t realize you were in the mood to lose,” he teased, lowering himself to the floor as he waited for Cassian to set up.

“I feel like enough of a loser today as it is,” he mumbled knowingly under his breath as he shuffled around his closet to unearth the dejarik set.

 

As expected when going up against a droid in a strategy game, Cassian lost every single time.

“Your squishy brain is simply no match for my analytical prowess,” K2 declared haughtily. His chassis hunched over the dejarik pieces as his slender fingers toyed around with the last piece he felled, tilting it this way and that and spinning it like a coin on a counter.

While such boasting would draw ire from most organic sentients, Cassian had known K2 long enough to see past it for the genuine sense of pride it really was, so he smirked and shook his head lightly. _Well, at least he’s happy,_ he thought.

He glanced at the chrono hanging above his door and was happy to find that they’d been playing for about 3 hours. His droid friend really knew how to give him a good distraction from his frustrations, as his mood improved considerably.

“Thanks for this,” Cassian said.

K2 paused mid-spin to look up at him. “Why would you thank me for having _lost_?”

“I just needed a distraction for a while,” he shrugged, trying his best to appear casual enough to discourage an elaboration on his thoughts.

“Oh.”

Cassian sat on his bunk to check his datapad for messages, all too glad that K2 didn’t pry any further.

“Is it because you saw Jyn and Dawes having breakfast together?”

Cassian paused mid-scroll, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply- _slow in, slow out_ \- to stop himself from looking at K2 incredulously.

“Absolutely not,” he responded flatly before slowly re-opening his eyes to continue scrolling. Perhaps if he continued to act disinterested, K2 would drop it.

Though… _It’s_ K2 _; as if he’d drop it._

“Based on the slightly abnormal waveform your voice exhibited in saying that, I’d say that’s a lie.”

Cassian’s eyebrows raised as if to tell himself, “Well, _there it is_ ,” but he still refused to take his eyes off the datapad. He was determined to continue acting like that was the truth, if not out of sheer stubbornness and a burning desire to prove K2 (and himself) wrong. There were documents he had to read over and messages from Leia and Draven that needed to be read and responded to; in short, he had plenty of things he could direct his attention to so that he could further the act.

Except, _no_ , it wasn’t an act- this is how he really felt about the whole thing: disinterested.

 _Ugh._ Cassian could shoot himself in the foot with how desperate he sounded to just get over today.

_Except K2 would probably do it for you, just so he could have a chance to hold and fire a blaster._

“You know, I don’t actually think Jyn desires Dawes enough to pursue a deeper relationship,” K2 pointed out.

He lowered his datapad and looked at K2, exasperation clear on his face. “Do we _have_ to discuss this? We’re gossiping about someone on our team.”

K2’s optics flickered. He sat up a bit straighter. “You say that as though you think the team doesn’t gossip.”

Cassian frowned slightly. Had he been the only person on the squad who refused to engage in recreational gossip?

“Well, I suppose that can be easily overlooked since you and Jyn don’t actually gossip to begin with,” K2 went on, not bothering to wait for Cassian to give a response.

“Okay, so can we stop discussing Jyn’s personal affairs? I don’t want to hear it.”

“Why not? You say she’s your partner- isn’t it good to know everything you can about them?”

“Because, Kay, it’s hard enough to just…” He put the datapad down to gesticulate, just to grab at something, anything that could be used as a cohesive thought. “…to just… _be reminded_ that I can’t be with her the way she chooses to be with other organic sentients.”

There was a pointed silence before K2 shifted a few cog-clicks straighter. “Are you jealous?”

“I don’t know!” he burst out, throwing his arms up in resignation. “Yes. No. Maybe. I…I’m not even sure I can even call it jealousy,” he re-iterated more quietly this time. “She means a lot to me. But what I want doesn’t really matter- she goes out to actively seek lovers, and I’m not one of them. Jyn isn’t interested in me, and even if she _was_ interested I’d have to worry about ruining a really great partnership we have going on right now.”

It was as though a light had been flipped on in K2’s head. “So even if she solicited you for sex, it’s not enough.”

Cassian buried his face in his hands and shook his head. “No. No, Kay, it wouldn’t be enough.”

The silence returned, and for the first few minutes, it was a welcome change, a chance to quiet his mind and come back down from riding high on his emotions.

Then, “Would you get over her faster if you had sex with other organic sentients as well?” K2 asked.

Cassian could only respond with a feeble head shake. “I’m honestly not interested in trying. I don’t operate like that.”

His droid friend quieted again, taking in the statement. “What if you did?”

It sounded so simple, really- what was even holding him back? In instances where his hand would fail to suffice, surely he could instead find someone to get it out of his system. If he could satisfy one urge, one desire, maybe it would become easier to get over Jyn. And, if he thought about it some more, most of his thoughts about her lately were things he wouldn’t _dare_ reveal to anyone; it was entirely possible, then, that he was conflating a basic, carnal need with the emotional fondness of his human partner in crime.

K2 might actually be onto something with that suggestion, Cassian realized, and his eyes wandered to the side, seriously considering the suggestion.

“I suppose I could,” he mumbled, the words trailing distantly.

_But-_

“-where would I even start?”

A small chirping noise emitted from Cassian’s datapad, disrupting his thoughts.

> **Jyn Erso**  
>  [1403]  
>  Erso: got a huge package  
>  Andor: Show-off.  
>  Erso: OF DATA TO PARSE.  
>  Andor: You walked into that one  
>  Erso: …  
>  Andor: Easily, I might add.  
>  Erso: ok well I stole some food from mess- wanna help me look over these docs in exchange for snacks?  
>  Andor: This is stuff for that upcoming mission, right?  
>  Erso: Yeah, Leia asked us to look over it and see if we can work out some logistics for the assignment  
>  Andor: ...”us”?  
>  Erso: oh, right, forgot- you had a meeting earlier today  
>  Erso: check your inbox

 Cassian hadn’t opened Leia’s messages yet, he realized, and gave them a glance. Sure enough, the correspondence was addressed to both him _and_ Jyn.

> [1417]  
>  Andor: Saw the messages. When do you want me  
>  Erso: awfully presumptuous of you, captain

Heat flashed brightly across Cassian’s face. Of all the times for his finger to hit “send” before he finished typing, did it have to be _now_?

It was official- K2 could do the honor of shooting him in the foot.

“Cassian, are you alright?” K2 asked, his head tilting yet again in curiosity.

“Uh, Jyn wants me,” he said after clearing his throat.

“Oh, so I guess your frustration was for naught,” K2 said cheerfully, clearly happy for his friend.

“No!” Cassian shouted suddenly, now fully in panic mode. “No. No, no, no! No. No. Just…no.” He managed, after a bit more flailing, to steady his breathing and re-center. “Jyn wants me to come over to her quarters.”

“For a tryst?”

“No! K2, leave that alone. We have to collaborate on something for Leia.”

K2 paused to craft his response. “So you two will be in close quarters.”

“Yes, that’s the implication.”

“Just you two? Alone?”

Cassian knew where this was going. “Kay, _stop it._ ”

K2 shrugged. “Alright, if you insist.”

“Thank you.”

“Still doesn’t explain how your face turned red all of a sudden,” he mumbled, twisting away in a pout.

Cassian shot him a look, but only briefly, before turning back to the datapad.

> [1421]  
>  Erso: you realize that was a joke, right?  
>  Andor: Talking to K2  
>  Erso: ah ok  
>  Erso: anyway come over whenever you’re free  
>  Andor: Give me 15 minutes.

“I’m heading out to meet up with Jyn,” Cassian said, putting his datapad in his rucksack and putting his boots back on. “And, while we’re on the topic of gossip, _do not_ speak of our entire conversation to anyone. _Not even Jyn._ ”

K2’s optics flickered and he pulled back slightly, placing a hand to his chest in offense. “Why are you acting as though I’d tell the others?”

Cassian rolled his eyes. “You said it yourself- the rest of the team gossips. That implies you as well. I need to cover my bases.”

K2 crossed his arms. “Okay fine. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.” He pressed a button on a side panel and his doors slid open.

Cassian only had one foot out the door when K2 fired back. “But if she solicits you for sex, you should accept the offer!”

On any normal day, Cassian was annoyed at how noisy the hallways outside would get. Today, it was a blessing- the buzzing activity drowned out his friend’s shouting, and no one noticed the obvious blush on his cheeks as he hurriedly made his way to Jyn’s quarters.

 

Cassian sat cross-legged on the floor, still cross-referencing data on both their datapads and a mini holo projector in front of him.

Jyn, meanwhile, had decided to take a snack break and sat on her bunk in front of him. She pulled up a small bag with a bright yellow label on it. “Crisps?” she offered.

He smiled politely and shook his head, but kept his gaze in her general direction. There was an assortment of snacks laid out across her bed, not dissimilar to the day he brought back sweets from his off-planet assignment with Bodhi. When she turned back to look at the array, her eyes lit up, just as it did that day, just as adorably, and her hand hovered over the baked goods, candies, and savory treats. The hand floated wistfully across the snacks, to and fro, as though she sang a nursery rhyme in her head to determine a snack to consume for round one. It was a childlike joy she didn’t reveal often, and he counted himself lucky to be one of the few to witness it. He _did_ note, however, that there were still quite a few lollipops from his last trip, scattered here and there.

“Did you not like some of the candies I brought?” he asked, worry creasing between his brows.

His inquiry seemed to break her trance and she snapped back to attention to look at him. “Hmm? Ah, actually, I’m holding off on eating them...” Her eyes trailed back to the candies, and- was her face turning pink?

Cassian leaned over to get a better look at the lollipops- they were all a brown and cool-green swirl, likely mint and dark chocolate flavored.

He felt a bit guilty for putting her on the spot, so he looked back up at her. “Jyn, it’s okay if you don’t like them; I’m sure Bodhi will take them off your hands. You don’t have to keep them out of politeness, it’s fine,” he said reassuringly.

She seemed genuinely adamant about keeping them. “Really, Cassian, these are my favorite. I want them to last.”

He blinked, unsure of how to react. He couldn’t recall being told this about a gift he’d given. But as the words sank deeper, his heart swelled- _he_ gave _her_ something she enjoyed so greatly that she was attempting to stretch it out for as long as possible.

It was an extremely relatable feeling, and Cassian couldn’t help but smile knowingly. “You like them so much that you don’t want to share?”

Jyn laughed, and Cassian fought the urge to grin like an idiot at the sound. “Yeah, actually; Dawes tried to eat one last night and I told him I’d slice him with a vibroblade if he even so much as unwrapped any of them!”

The smile faded. He was so comfortable working with Jyn on the research for Leia’s upcoming assignment that he’d forgotten about Dawes entirely. Rather than respond verbally, however, he nodded in acknowledgement and looked back down at his datapad to hide the subtle frown she was sure to catch if she looked at him.

A few minutes passed in peace, and he was able to get re-absorbed into his work, when-

“You didn’t really have a meeting this morning, did you?” Jyn asked, finally returning to sit next to him on the floor, meekann fruit in hand. Her knee knocked against his as she struggled to unpeel the thicker-than-usual rind, but after some effort, she was able to peel back enough of the skin for her to harvest a wedge. Her eyes glittered as the bright, crisp, citrus scent filled the air between them, and her lips enclosed the tip of the wedge as she bit down and gingerly sucked the juice out.

Cassian’s ears turned red again- not only was he called out on his lie, but Jyn was once again presenting him with imagery he could _not_ afford to have while his candy was stashed away in his own quarters.

 _Note to self: keep the candy on you at all times_.

“I wasn’t really hungry,” he lied again.

She shot him a look, but the incredulity on her face was overshadowed by the fact that a meekann wedge stuck out from her mouth once again. Having quickly sucked the second wedge dry of its juice, she put it aside and looked back up at him with concern. “Did we do anything to make you uncomfortable?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Your face was a little grumpier than usual whenever you looked at us.”

Cassian didn’t know what to say.

She (correctly) interpreted his silence as an affirmation. “It’s me and Dawes, isn’t it?”

He didn’t respond immediately- he was confused and just a bit wary of what she might already know about him. “You think I’m made uncomfortable by you and Sergeant Tob’eh?”

Jyn shrugged. “Everyone sort of looks at you like the proper man: always standing straight, sticking to protocol whenever you can, not looking too kindly on fraternization, that sort of stuff.” She said it so easily, as though her observation was a universally-known fact.

“And that includes yourself?” he asked, now curious to know more about what she thought of him. Did she really think of him as being so stiff?

“Well, I know you don’t really care if rebels fraternize; you’re more pragmatic than that. But you and I, we’re partners- for all I know, you actually would prefer to work with people who keep things ‘professional’, so to speak.”

He noticed that her eyes had drifted again- off to the side and away from him- while her fingers fiddled nervously. To give herself something to channel her nervous energy into, she picked another wedge of meekann and nibbled at the tip to break open the wedge and suck on the juice again.

“I…” the words caught in his throat. Cassian was so preoccupied stewing in his own internal conflict that he hadn’t realized Jyn might have been watching him this whole time. And for her to bring it up with genuine concern was…

…it was nice. More than nice, actually; it made him appreciate their partnership even more.

There was no way Cassian was going to ruin that just because he wanted to be more than just partners.

He looked at her with the warmest smile he’d given in a while. “Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you as a partner?”

Jyn’s eyes widened and she drew back slightly, taken aback by the suddenness of his declaration.

He let out an amused huff. “You’re right- I do like sticking to formalities. That’s just how I was raised. I’m sorry I gave you the impression that I had a problem with your relationship with Dawes- I’ve just been out of it all day.

“At the end of the day, I can’t make you stop doing something you like. I’d be a terrible partner if I did.” Feeling a touch emboldened, he put an assuring hand on her knee and squeezed it. “Happiness goes both ways.”

Her lips slowly parted in surprise, her bunny-like teeth peeking out just slightly. The crease on either side of her lips faded into view as they morphed into the beginnings of a smile, but rather than feeling like he was left out of a secret, Cassian felt like he was the one to tell her a secret of his own. And, as her smile reached its peak and her eyelashes fluttered, he knew then that she was going to keep it.

Then he noticed a red-orange smudge on her lower lip and chin. Some of the meekann juice had dribbled down, and she hadn’t noticed.

It would’ve been easy to just tell her- “Jyn, you’ve got juice on your lip”. But he remained fixated on her lip, and his fingertips itched with an urge to touch the pump bit of flesh.

Jyn’s head tilted slightly, and her hair shifted, causing a few strands to stick to her lower lip. “Cassian?”

Cassian’s body twisted to look at her more directly, his knee pushing against hers as he did so. He lifted his hand from her knee, his eyes still unable to tear away from her mouth, and he gently swept the strands away. Her eyelashes fluttered- she was clearly flustered by the move- but she didn’t recoil from him. His hand kept moving, twisting slightly and tucking under her chin to lift it, and brushed his thumb against her chin first before her lower lip. The flesh resisted his thumb with a soft bounce, and as he wiped the juice away, the flesh pulled with it. Cassian’s mind started wandering again, back to his ‘fresher fantasy from this morning, and his heart pounded against his ribs when he realized: this is how her lips would feel on him. His thumb was so close to entering her mouth that she could feel her warm breath, and he couldn’t stop thinking about just how close her tongue was. He wondered, now that he knew what her lips felt like, if her tongue was just as soft with a bit of resistance, if it was just as warm as her breath, if it would taste just as delicious if he sucked on it like she did with a meekann wedge.

_Jyn’s lips parted slightly, a naughty smirk playing on her lips as her tongue darted out to tease the tip of his erection._

“Juice,” he said faintly, trying to be coherent despite the fixation on her lip, his wandering mind, and his renewed hunger for her.

She bit her lip nervously and his tongue darted out to lick his own lips instinctively.

 _Andor,_ stop _it!_

“Did I make a mess on my lips?” she asked nervously.

Cassian’s trance broke and he quickly let go of her chin. His ears reddened once again and he scooted away from her. “Sorry! I’m sorry. Yes, there was juice dribbling down your lip.”

“Ah, I see,” was all she could say, but it was clear from her body language that she didn’t know what to make of his actions, either.

Feeling utterly embarrassed, Cassian wanted nothing more than to disappear in a puff of smoke. His hands began blindly reaching around the floor to gather his belongings for the quickest possible getaway. Scrambling to his feet, he turned off the holo projector and tossed it and his datapad in his rucksack. The sooner he was out of Jyn’s quarters, the better.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m way more out of it than I thought. I should head back to my quarters and rest.”

He took a step backwards, towards Jyn’s door.

“It’s uh, you know, a lot of intel and resources to sift through, and I need to make sure my mind is sharp enough to finish our assignment for these docs.”

He quickly headed towards the door, but as soon as he did, Jyn stood up quickly and picked her favorite lollipop from off her bed and extended it to him. “You can have one of my lollipops, if you want something to tide you over til dinner,” she offered with a nervous smile.

Cassian shook his head. “It’s okay- I don’t really eat lollipops. And for some reason mint mixed with chocolate is such a bland flavor for me.”

Although he was right at Jyn’s door, his back was facing the cold durasteel as he talked to her. His arm reached out to the side and pawed at the wall, blindly searching for the keypad to open the door, too scared to tear his gaze from Jyn in hopes that she wouldn’t look down at the slight erection he was getting.

“Are you sure?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed with a genuine wonder.

He felt a large button under his fingertips, and the doors finally slid open when he pressed it. Cassian nearly stumbled and fell backwards, but he caught himself just in time. “Absolutely sure,” he reassured her, and he took a step out of her quarters.

She pouted slightly. “Alright, well, let me know when you’re ready to get together again. I hope you feel better.”

Cassian was about to thank her for the well-wishes but froze when she unwrapped the mint-chocolate lollipop and began running it across her tongue.

He turned around and rushed away without a word.

 

Several days had passed since Cassian made a fool out of himself by touching Jyn’s lips, but the ‘fresher fantasies persisted. He really needed to try harder to get over her sooner, but the image of her sucking on fruit wedges and lollipops were _not_ helping. If anything, it was helping him warm up to the idea of having a fling with someone else, if only to try and get his sexual frustration out of his system and move on.

He had to do it soon, he just _had to_.

Little did Cassian know that the opportunity to do just that was right around the corner when he heard a knock on his door one day. Sitting up from his bunk, he eyed the door- he wasn’t expecting any visitors on his day off. Curious, he sat up, slipped on his tunic, and opened the door to find Leia standing on the other side with-

 _What is that white fabric in her hands?_ he wondered.

“You’ll need to wear this for your next assignment,” she announced as a matter-of-factly.

Cassian blinked. “I wasn’t aware I was chosen for any upcoming assignments.”

She grinned like a tooka cat ready to pounce. “You didn’t check your messages for the day yet, did you?”

His face went from confused to suspicious in a heartbeat. “No…why?”

“I’ve selected you and Jyn to lead the intel acquisition assignment that you went over in the combined meeting a few weeks ago.”

He gawked at her. “I-I’m sorry?”

“And,” she continued as though he hadn’t frozen on the spot, “you’ll need to wear underwear under your outfit.”

_I have to wear ‘underwear’?_

When he couldn’t find additional words to respond with, Leia kept going.

“I’m dropping this off so you can get accustomed to wearing it before take-off.”

Cassian shook his head to reset his train of thought and re-focus.

“Leia,” he said finally, “we don’t wear these types of things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading through the end of the chapter! If it wasn't made obvious, this chapter (and the previous one) were actually _flashbacks_ leading up to the events of Chapter 3. Due to another change in plans for where I wanted the "plot" to go, I've had to include a lot of extra details to fix things. I think there may be a few details in previous chapters that create minor plotholes of sorts, which I'll eventually get to fixing, if I find them.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](https://sleepykalena.tumblr.com/)


End file.
